A Really Big Mess
by AlphaKnightX
Summary: Todoroki Shoto goes on a trip to Barcelona to train in peace. However, his plan is interfered with due to him meeting none other than Yaoyorozu Momo at the airport. Soon, he finds himself tangled up in quite a bit of trouble as he squares off against an enemy from his father's past.
1. Going to Barcelona

_**Chapter 1**_

 _ **Going to Barcelona**_

Todoroki sighed as he looked out the window. Even though he'd been excited about this, he didn't really know if things would go as he had planned. So far nothing had, really. It had been a hectic year for him and his classmates.

Todoroki Shoto, son of the now number one hero Endeavor, planned on attending U.A. high for three years, improving as much as possible, becoming a hero, and surpassing the world's greatest pillar, All Might. It was every hero's dream, really, so one would say that despite his enormous latent potential, Todoroki was just a normal hero-in-training.

However, fate had other plans. Todoroki found himself time and again fending off a band of criminals known as the League of Villains. First at U.S.J, where they all almost died at the hands of a mutant known as Nomu controlled by that lunatic guy named Shigaraki Tomura, before All Might came and saved them. Then at training camp, where they were ambushed by the even-further-empowered League, having attracted some of the world's strongest villains; a battle they all lost, and ended up having to rescue Bakugo from the League afterwards. In summation, things were NOT going as planned for the son of Endeavor. And that's not even counting Midoriya, who helped Todoroki open his eyes to his own potential, and got him to accept the power residing in his left side as his own during their fight in the Sports Festival.

Todoroki closed his bag, took his passport, and made his way to the door. He met his older sister there, her iconic worried look plastered on her face.

"Shoto, are you sure you have everything you need?" She said.

"Yes, Fuyumi, I'm sure." He replied stoically.

"Passport?"

"Look, I know I didn't forget anything. Don't worry." He said as he put his bag down, and made his way towards his father's home office.

Todoroki opened the door slowly and saw his father sitting behind his desk, a frown upon his face. Ever since All Might had retired after that fight with the League of Villains' secret boss,All for One, his father had been training like his Quirk had just manifested. The son of Endeavor understood how his father felt; the pleasure of surpassing someone you've been chasing for a while deprived from you forever. Even though his old man hadn't been the best father around, he couldn't help but feel bad for the flame hero a little bit.

"I leave now." He said, prompting his father to look up at him, his expression unchanged.

"Alright. Save travels." Endeavor said almost mechanically.

"Thank you. I will notify Fuyumi when I land." Todoroki said before turning away and closing the door behind him.

Outside, Todoroki found his sister seemingly closing his bag. He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at her haste to step away from it, as if he had caught her in some form of scandalous act.

"Couldn't not worry, huh?" He said, picking the bag up.

"Sorry." She said sheepishly.

"It's alright. Make sure to visit mother often, and call me from there. See you in a week." He said, waving to her, and going towards the waiting limo.

* * *

Todoroki made his way towards the plane at last call. He wasn't late; he just thought he'd get on board late so as not to wait a lot on the plane. He didn't like waiting. His trip to Barcelona was long overdue as it is, with the long year he had. But now that it was summer, and the school had no planned activities, he jumped at that chance to go.

He got on board and buckled up his seat belt. He was thinking about his destination as he looked out the window. He wanted to go so badly, despite the excitement not showing on his face. He wasn't going just for sightseeing, but rather to train. Todoroki was unique like that.

The son of Endeavor always figured that training is more than just sweat and Quirk improvement. While those were critical parts of it, Todoroki also made efforts to improve his fighting spirit and his mentality, and he did it by doing the simplest of activities. He was going on this trip alone, where he'd be cooking, cleaning, and pretty much doing everything on his own. He figured that it might help him improve his judgement, and hence help him in battle. Not much at first glance, but he always found that method to be beneficial, at least for him.

The plane finally took off, and his trip began. Todoroki closed his eyes, figuring he better rest while he can in the comfortable chair.

* * *

The son of Endeavor was panting as he ran away. No matter where he went, a shadowy figure always found him. Nothing worked against it, neither ice nor fire. He ran through the ruins and the debris, falling and tripping on occasion. Sweat fell down his face like rain, and it dawned on him. He was scared. Not of the creature. He didn't know of what, really...

The answer to that mystery would soon be revealed as he looked below him. Right under his boot was blood. He followed the trail to find its source only to be shocked at seeing the face of the deceased.

"M-Midoriya…" Todoroki couldn't believe it. How could the persistent and passionate Midoriya Izuku be beaten up in such a hideous way? One would think he would've thought something up, but apparently, that was not the case. Midoriya's burnt and bruised face started talking.

"Your fault….you couldn't save us…not a hero…." his eyes widened, and it didn't help that the shadow was emerging from behind Midoriya, attempting to attack Todoroki again.

The son of Endeavor turned and ran as fast as he could. He entered an apparently abandoned building and found two bodies hanged on what seemed to be broken pipes piercing their hearts.

"Iida and Uraraka too?!" He looked at the two bodies in horror, both glaring at him with hatred and rage. Clenching his fists, he turned around to run away.

"Yaoyorozu!?" His attempt was halted as he saw her bodiless head looking at him with eyes filled with sorrow.

"Todoroki… you couldn't do it…. You didn't even try."

"What..?" Todoroki looked on at her, his heart pounding too fast at all the sights of his classmates.

The son of Endeavor fell to his knees, looked at the dark skies, and felt the shadow consume his body. His eyes started tearing up in a mixture of fear and pain, and he cried out his last as he sank into the darkness.

* * *

Todoroki woke up sweating with a jolt, finding himself to still be on the plane. He looked out the window beside him at the clouds, and wiped the sweat off his brow.

"What the hell was that about..? Probably just cuz I'm sleeping in a chair." He said as he made his way to the bathroom to wash his face of all the sweat.

* * *

Todoroki took his luggage from baggage claim, the atmosphere of Barcelona completely foreign to him. It was his first time there, after all.

Making his way through to the exit, he turned around at the mention of his name, raising his brow a bit at the surprise. He hadn't expected anyone to know him there, and the voice was indeed familiar.

"Todoroki! I can't believe you're here, it's so good to see you!" Yaoyorozu made her way over to him, a big smile on her face. The image of her head from his nightmare flashed in his head, but he dismissed it immediately.

"Yaoyorozu. It's good to see you as well. What are you doing here?"

"My parents are here on business, and I came with them to get a change of air. What about you?" The son of Endeavor was surprised by the fact that someone travels just to 'get a change of air', but he wouldn't let it show. In a way, he was there for the same reason as well, when he came to think of it.

"I guess we're here for the same reason, then. I needed the distance from my family a little bit." He replied.

"Is it your first time here?" She asked.

"Yes."

"Well, maybe I can show you around later. Whattya say? It'll be lots of fun to have someone to hang out with!"

Todoroki was taken off guard a little. His plan was already being tampered with, but that could actually be enjoyable. The son of Endeavor shrugged to himself.

"Sure, why not? I could use a guide around here, to be honest." He replied, much to her glee.

"Great! I'd get to show you all the landmarks, and take you to the best restaurants around…" She ranted on as Todoroki sweat-dropped. He chuckled internally at her enthusiasm, which was always a sight to behold to him and their classmates.

She waved at him as she left, giving him her 'Barcelona phone number', as she called it. Todoroki put the piece of paper in his pocket and continued on his way towards the exit.

* * *

Todoroki walked through the airport and found his way out, where a car was waiting for him. He looked at the man holding the door open for him, nodding politely.

"Hello, Arthur. It's been a long time." Said the son of Endeavor to the well-dressed butler.

"It sure has, my young master. Since your father sent me to take care of your mansion here in Barcelona, to be specific. Regardless, I'm glad to be of service to you once again." Said Arthur with a bow, as Todoroki entered the car. Arthur went over to the passenger seat, and ushered the driver on in Spanish.

The son of Endeavor looked out the window, looking on into the night. Yet, he couldn't shake off this bad feeling. That nightmare had more of an impact on him than he cared to admit. The fact that he met Yaoyorozu not that long after seeing it wasn't soothing in the least too. What if it was a vision? Todoroki shook his head, as if to drop the thought from his head.

"I'm going crazy. It's just a dream, nothing more." He sighed, and continued to watch the buildings go by as the car drove into the horizon.


	2. Day One

_**Chapter 2**_

 _ **Day One**_

Todoroki looked on at the house in which he was to stay. Pretty big place for a guy like him, but it was perfect for his training. Being in the countryside, the son of Endeavor would be able to enjoy the peace and quiet deprived by the city, while also being sure that his training won't be affecting anyone. Of course, he'd have to be careful so that his fire doesn't burn anything down, but that was actually part of the training.

The car pulled over and Arthur grabbed his young master's luggage from the trunk. The younger man walked with him towards the front door.

"Did my father tell you why I'm here?" Todoroki asked calmly.

"He mentioned something about practice, sir."

"Exactly. I'm here to develop my Quirk and battle abilities in peace, away from my family. I have only a week, so this has to go smoothly. I only need you for translations, so for example, you'll be helping me buy groceries. Other than that, it'd be part of my training." Todoroki explained.

"Of course."

By that point, they had both reached the front door and gotten inside. Todoroki took his luggage from Arthur and went upstairs to what was supposed to be his room. He unpacked his bags, sat on a desk by the window on the far side of the room, and looked out the window. Outside, he saw the backyard, and the fields beyond the fence.

The backyard was wide, but it was messy. Full of branches from broken trees, as well as anything that didn't have a place to be stored in, like the barbecue grill. Todoroki also noticed that there was what seemed to be old cleaning equipment, like a vacuum cleaner that looked as though it was from medieval times. The son of Endeavor smiled at the sight; his first task had been determined. He took a deep breath and went to take a shower and change before going downstairs to get down to business.

* * *

Momo threw herself on her bed, tired from her flight.

Despite that, she was pretty excited about the time she was gonna spend in Barcelona. Last time she was there, she had tons of fun visiting all the landmarks, and getting to know the ways of the Spanish people, especially those of the famous Barcelona. She couldn't wait to experience it all again.

However, there was a problem.

Momo had no siblings, and her parents were always busy with their work. She didn't have any friends in Barcelona either. So, even though she was going to see all those landmarks and taste all the good food, she would end up doing it all on her own. That was Momo's most hated aspect of travelling.

It was then that her mind showed her the image of Todoroki, his eyes focused on her.

She remembered meeting him at the airport. Excited over the fact that he was there, she wasted no time giving him her number in Barcelona, as she almost couldn't believe her eyes that she saw a friend of hers outside of Japan. She held her phone up, looking at the dark screen, and imagining what it would be like for it to light up with a call from Todoroki, asking to just talk or something. Or anyone else for that matter.

Sighing, she set the phone down, stood up, and made her way towards the window. She could see the reflection of her face, hair down and evidence of jet-lag notable upon her eyes. She would sleep after she had unpacked her bags, but for the time being, she enjoyed the view of the sky of Barcelona, the sun still making its way through the darkness of the night. Despite her liking to it, she sighed and turned around.

"Well, I better get to unpacking." She said out loud as she made her way to the bag on her bed opposite the wardrobe.

Her hotel room was relatively small, but she didn't have to share it with anyone, so she didn't mind. It was basically a typical bedroom with a bed and a wardrobe, a living room with a TV and small corner for a kitchen, a small bathroom, and a balcony. The balcony was Momo's favourite part, since she could read while having her morning coffee as the morning breeze touched her face ever so gently.

She opened her bag, took the contents out and started placing each item in a place suitable for it. Despite being exceedingly busy with it, her mind couldn't help but wander again. She frequently checked her phone, in case she got a text or missed a call because she didn't hear. Maybe her parents would check in on her, and break the insane boredom she was experiencing.

She sighed and looked out the window again.

* * *

Arthur was in the kitchen, reading the paper for the third time that day.

His young master's wishes were very clear. Arthur would do absolutely nothing unless asked to. While he respected that and would do it, he couldn't help but feel as though time flowed very slowly. He needed a distraction.

Then, he heard grunting coming from the back of the house. Intrigued, he went to check it out.

* * *

Todoroki, now fully dressed for his training in a muscle shirt and what seemed to be a bathing suit, was moving lots of broken vines and fallen logs in a wheelbarrow. Tough as it was, he managed to drag them all the way across the back yard, opened a wooden box and poured the barrow's contents inside. Closing the lid, the son of Endeavor looked around him.

"Young master! Dare I ask what you are doing?"

Todoroki turned and saw Arthur standing on the porch, watching him working. The young hero-in-training wiped sweat off his brow.

"Cleaning the backyard. I'm thinking that it could be quite the place for me to practice."

"But, aren't you tired from your trip over here? Perhaps it'd be best to start sma-"

"I appreciate your concern, Arthur. But I'm fine, believe me." Said Todoroki, slightly irritated at the butler for interrupting his training. Arthur sighed.

"Of course, sir. I will be sitting on the porch, in case you need me." Said a defeated Arthur, as he sat down on a chair on the porch while Todoroki resumed his work.

Todoroki watched as the butler grabbed a chair and took a seat on the porch, then resumed with his work.

The son of Endeavor looked onto the now-clean backyard, admiring his handiwork. What could have once been easily taken for a dumpster was now a wide space free for use. Todoroki's first task was complete. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around.

"I must say, master Shoto, I have been proven wrong. Turns out you weren't as tired as I thought you'd be." Said Arthur with a smile on his old face.

"Thanks. Now, next on the list… is this." Said Todoroki as he grabbed a metallic barrel and pulled it a little closer to the centre of the backyard.

He then disappeared back into the house, returning with a bucket of various liquid soap bottles and a scrub. He made his way afterwards to the garden at the side of the house and grabbed what seemed to be an extra-long water hose. He plugged the hose into the tap, turned on the water, and used the soap to wash the insides of the barrel.

"Sir, what do you need the barrel for?" Asked Arthur with curiosity plastered all over his face.

"You'll see." Said Todoroki, after filling the barrel with water.

"Hold onto this for me. And stay on the porch, cuz this could intense." Said the son of Endeavor as he took his shirt off and jumped into the water-filled barrel, wearing his swimming suit. Arthur nodded to himself, having made sense of the swimming suit at that point.

"More intense than when your father burnt down the beach house?" Asked Arthur with a slight grin on his face. Todoroki stood still for a minute, looking at the butler blankly.

"Okay, maybe you can step a little closer." Was Todoroki's final decision.

A few minutes later saw the son of Endeavor hard at training, trying his best to redo what he did in training camp, so as to develop his Quirk. He used both his ice and fire quickly and simultaneously as far as he could to try and keep the water's temperature uniform. But of course, that was harder because he had to be careful or else the house would burn down.

He came up with a way. He'd freeze the area around him, and make the edges higher, so that they'd block the following wave of fire. Even though the ice would melt, Todoroki only took this as a challenge to control the time the fire would keep on burning, and hence improve his overall control over the powers in his left side.

' _He's doing really good. I've never seen anyone so invested in a task before._ ' Arthur watched him train, betting that the son of Endeavor had forgotten about his presence at that point. He didn't mind, though, for he was content just watching him.

' _Good. The water's temperature doesn't feel as though it goes outside a certain range thus far. At this rate, I'll get even stronger than my set target before the week ends._ ' Todoroki thought to himself as he alternated between the uses of his right and left sides. He'd been going at it for about fifteen minutes, and he still felt as though he could keep on going for a while more.

It was at that moment that Todoroki's mind flashed with the memory of Midoriya, and the shadow that was rising from behind his brutally battered body. The words 'Failed to save us..' echoing in his mind, the son of Endeavor felt a rush of adrenaline within his veins like he never had. Overcome with sudden rage and panic, he released flames from his left stronger than he intended to.

Arthur looked on as the fire consumed the ice and made its way towards him and the house. Thinking quickly, Arthur took a deep breath, and blew as hard as he could, putting his own Quirk into effect. Arthur could blow a wall back a bit with that much air, yet the flames were not completely blown away. Snapping back to reality, Todoroki cut the fire out immediately.

"Damn it…" Sweating, the son of Endeavor got out of the water, and grabbed a towel offered to him by Arthur. He wiped the sweat off his face as he panted.

"Something troubles you, master."

"It's nothing. I just need to train my focus more, that's all. I'll go to my room and rest for a bit." Said Todoroki as he made his way to the bathroom to take another shower.

Arthur looked at the back Todoroki's receding head as he went back into the house and walked back inside after him.

* * *

The sun was setting and Todoroki was lying in bed, looking at the stars out the window just beginning to appear. He couldn't help but think.

He knew he was stronger than most people out there and that he'd been training to get even stronger, yet somehow a measly dream was doing that to him. It couldn't even have been real. All the people there were strong enough to hold their own against most threats out there, as proven by their clashes with the League of Villains and many more events. Midoriya had beaten up Muscular, a bloodthirsty criminal who killed the two pros known as Water Hose, and Iida had held his own quite well against Stain, the notorious Hero Killer. What could possibly do that to them, and with all of them in one place too?

Todoroki thought he was going crazy. Nothing about that had made sense. He wasn't even supposed to be thinking that much about this, but for some reason it bothered him. If the house was about to burn down, then it was because he lost focus, nothing more. He got up, started walking a bit around the room and thought it over. He needed to get his mind off of that dream. But how? It wasn't like a disease he could cure; it was a dream. The son of Endeavor wasn't an expert in dealing with these situations.

His eyes then fell on a piece of paper on his desk. Yaoyorozu's number. He looked at it for a while, studying it. Maybe if he went out he could get over the whole thing, especially if it was from someone among those who appeared in that dream. Walking over to the piece of paper, he opened it, got out his phone, and started to dial.

* * *

Momo was watching TV in her hotel suite. She figured that it may not be big compared to others, but it was still too big to be a room, so she decided to call it a suite for the duration of her stay. She had changed into her PJs, popped up her feet on the coffee table, and started drinking some orange juice. She was watching _Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,_ when Makayla and Sam were together the night before the final battle. Seeing the way they looked at each other, how they were both not caring that they could die the next day, made her wonder if she could ever find that. Lonely as she was at that moment, she doubted it. She sighed.

"Well, no use thinking about it. Might as well just enjoy my stay here, so I'll plan what I'm gonna do tomorrow." She said as she started getting up.

She then stopped. Her phone was ringing.

She couldn't believe it. Her phone was actually ringing. How good it felt to know that she was about to talk to someone who isn't her lunch! She picked up the phone and placed it on her ear.

* * *

 **Yaoyorozu:** Hello?

 **Todoroki:** Hey, Yaoyorozu. It's Todoroki. Sorry if I'm interrupting you.

* * *

Momo's eyes widened. She hoped for him to call, but she never thought he actually would, at least not so quickly. Snapping out of her trance, she replied.

* * *

 **Yaoyorozu:** Oh, hi Todoroki! How are you?

 **Todoroki:** Doing well. How about you?

 **Yaoyorozu:** Pretty good, thanks. So, to what do I owe the pleasure?

 **Todoroki:** Well, I remember you promising me a tour of Barcelona. I was wondering if that was still on.

 **Yaoyorozu:** Of course. When do you wanna meet up?

* * *

Todoroki halted. When _did_ he wanna meet up? He really hadn't thought the whole thing through.

* * *

 **Yaoyorozu:** Hello?

 **Todoroki:** Still here. Anyway, how about tomorrow? I've got limited time her-

 **Yaoyorozu:** Yes, tomorrow's fantastic! Is two o'clock okay?

 **Todoroki:** Yeah, sure. I guess I'll see you then.

 **Yaoyorozu:** Right. Okay, see ya!

 **Todoroki:** Bye.

* * *

Momo hung up. Her boredom and loneliness suddenly turned into great excitement for the day to come. She got up almost instantly.

"Well, gotta plan a day for us. AND figure out what to wear!"


	3. Crystal-Dense Ice

_**Chapter 3**_

 _ **Crystal-Dense Ice**_

The sound of an explosion roared in the area. No one complained; it was a sign of improvement of the current situation.

Nomus flied around Tartarus, hoping to free their master from prison. They relentlessly attacked the facility, and they might've even succeeded if it wasn't for a certain flame hero getting in their way.

Endeavor made a spear of fire, and threw it at one of the flying mutants, piercing its head and killing it instantly. He dodged a diving attack from another one, and countered by incinerating it completely with a wave of flames.

Despite being in the middle of an important fight, the flame hero's head wandered to matters of its own. One thought had been ringing in his head for a long time. All Might had retired, and with that Endeavor would never get the chance to prove his worth. The thought repeating itself in his head once again, he burned an approaching Nomu with a furious yell.

It was the strongest blow to his pride. He had worked his entire life as a professional hero to surpass the Symbol of Peace and claim his pedestal as the number one hero of the world. After all the training he'd gone through for years and years, how could he accept the position in such a manner?

He grabbed a Nomu's head and burned his brain, sheer anger fueling his fire. He remembered the fight between All Might and the boss of the League of Villains, All for One; everything about it that he had witnessed. All Might gave it his all that day, and even though his body was battered and his secret had come out to the world in the most unsightly manner, he still turned the tables around. Endeavor's mind flashed with images of All Might's true form, weak and wrinkled, and how he still won that fight despite being in such a state.

"So what?! I can do it too!" He yelled on the top of his lungs as he released flames from both his hands, and manipulated them into a giant spiral. Anger, pain, pride, frustration. All these only made the fire burn even hotter as Endeavor let it all out in a mighty yell.

The fire died down and the smoke subsided. The flame hero panted as he looked at all the carbonised Nomus around him, a tinge of pride tugging at him upon seeing the sight. Despite that, Endeavor couldn't shake off the feeling of inadequacy.

"Darn it….Not enough..!" He said through gritted teeth as he glared up at the night sky.

* * *

A man sitting in a dark prison cell looked out the window at the fight going on outside. He saw the flames fly and the Nomus fall one after the other. Grabbing an old newspaper sitting beside him, he looked at the front page picture of All Might squaring off against a similar being to the flame hero's victims.

He looked outside again as he heard Endeavor's yell, and saw the spiral of flames burn all the remaining mutants. The man couldn't help but smile broadly to himself, and his chuckles gradually started to become quiet laughter.

"Your time has come, old friend…"

* * *

Todoroki woke up in his bed, sweating. He had the same dream again, and he was starting to get bored of it. Would spending the day out really help him forget about it? Of course it would. A change of air makes everything better. He got out of his bed and head towards the bathroom.

A few minutes later, Todoroki had changed out of his PJs and wore a simple blue shirt and black sweat pants. The son of Endeavor made his way towards the kitchen, and grabbed some ingredients from the fridge.

He put omelettes in a pan and placed it on the stove, occasionally moving it around and poking it to make sure the cheese wasn't melting more than it should. He dug his phone out of his pocket, and checked his notifications, finding a text from Yaoyorozu.

" **Good morning, Todoroki! Up to meet at 2:00 PM, say in front of the train station? Let me know of that works for you. Ttyl! :D** "

He locked his phone and looked at the clock on the wall. 11:30 AM. He still had time. The son of Endeavor placed his omelettes on a plate, put a slice of white cheese and a spoonful of jam in another, and poured two cups of orange juice. He stepped back and looked at the table.

" _Okay… guess this'll have to do._ " He thought to himself.

"Arthur! Will you come over here for a minute?" Called out Todoroki. A few moments later, the butler came in hurriedly.

"Yes, my master?"

"Sit." Todoroki said as he sat on the table, gesturing to a chair opposite of him.

"But sir, I-" Arthur was interrupted by the younger man.

"Look, Arthur, I'm training to be a hero. I'll never be that if I'm too conceited to give my own butler something to eat. Besides, I don't feel like eating alone today." Todoroki reasoned.

"….Alright. Thank you for honouring me so, sir." Arthur said as he sat down and started to eat with his young master.

"The omelettes are exquisite." Still not used to the young man's sudden show of kindness, the butler tried his best to act natural.

"I know." Todoroki said with a smile, earning a chuckle from his butler.

A while later, Arthur brought in the newspaper and put it on the coffee table in the living room for his master to read. Said master returned from his room, grabbed the paper, and started filing through it.

"By the way, Arthur, I'll be going out in a couple hours. Could you prepare the training room for me? I'll train when I get back, so just dust it off, no more than that. The rest I'll do. Also, I might need the driver to drop me off at the train station, so if you would be so kind so as to instruct him so?" Todoroki said as he read through the sports section.

"Certainly, sir." The butler said, internally excited at getting to do his job properly again.

The son of Endeavor turned the page over and came onto a picture of his father, burning down what seemed to be Nomus in protection of an all-too-familiar prison. His eyes made way to the article.

 _..And at dawn of today, the current number one hero, Endeavor, managed to once again prove his might to the world by protecting Tartarus prison from flying monsters._

 _The prison is said to hold the boss of the organisation known as the League of Villains, who were seen in company of a similar mutant during the incident at U.S.J. a mere few months ago. Nevertheless, it is still not quite clear what the relation between the League and these monsters revolves around exactly, although the beasts' valiant fight to free the imprisoned man proves strong relations between both parties._

 _Try as they might, though, they couldn't get past the world's highest, blazing wall. Endeavor made sure that the inmate stayed inside and beat the monsters in what counts as a world record of a time, signalling the dramatic rise in the flame hero's already immeasurable strength…_

Todoroki closed the paper and tossed it onto the coffee table, utterly bored from reading such nonsense.

" _They have no idea what they're talking about…. The League seems to be on the move again. If All for One is freed, we're all in trouble."_ Todoroki thought. He never believed he'd ever feel that way, but he was glad his father was there to prevent the worst from happening.

He grabbed his phone, unlocked it, and starting typing a text to Yaoyorozu.

 **"** **Sure, that sounds good. I'll see ya then.** "

The son of Endeavor figured he might as well start getting ready. It would take him time to get there as it was and he wanted to get some fresh air before the tour began. He got up and head towards his room to change.

* * *

Yaoyorozu stood on the other side of the street across the train station. She left the hotel early, because she needed a breather from her depressing room. The air, the hustle of the townsfolk; it all appealed to her much more than watching TV alone in her suite. She felt the air blow through her spiked ponytail. Closing her eyes, she savoured the feeling of the soft breeze's touch on her skin.

She looked at her reflection in the glass exterior of one of the stores. She wore a dark jean shirt, sleeves rolled up till right below the elbows, with black pants and wore a white short-sleeved tee underneath the open shirt. She finished off her classic look with a pair of long, dark brown boots, a couple bracelets and a watch. Straightening her look one last time, she turned back to watching people moving in and out of the train station.

She checked her watch. 1:00 PM. Still another hour before Todoroki was supposed to show up. She remembered meeting him at the airport and how off his eyes had seemed. It was as though he had come to Barcelona on some sort of mission most important. The creation heroine had never seen him look so burdened, except maybe the time when he froze Sero during the sports festival. She rubbed her chin in thought, but she was quickly snapped out of her thoughts when she heard a voice.

"You're here early. Hope I didn't keep you waiting."

She turned to the source. Todoroki closed in on her, bearing the same look in his eyes. The creation heroine dismissed the thought for the moment, hoping she would get a chance to ask him what was wrong later on.

"No, don't worry. I just wanted to get a piece of Barcelona before our tour." She replied with a smile.

She looked at Todoroki, hands in the pockets of his black jeans. He wore a blue shirt, a white tee under it, topping it off with a pair of light grey sneakers; coincidentally matching with her. She couldn't help but notice that despite the wariness in his eyes, he looked as confident as ever. And as handsome…

She righted herself with a jolt. What was that? She had never thought that way of Todoroki before! Where did that come from? She shook her head slightly and redirected her focus onto the upcoming tour.

" _What's up with her?_ " Todoroki saw her shake her head and raised an eyebrow at it.

The son of Endeavor's thoughts were interrupted as he heard someone else mention his name behind him. He turned around to find a blond girl, seemingly of his age, addressing him in Spanish.

"Oh, Dios mío, Todoroki Shoto ?! ¡Soy un gran admirador tuyo! ¡Te vi durante el festival de deportes!" Said the blond and Todoroki just blinked in response. Noticing his confusion, Yaoyorozu jumped in to his rescue.

"¡Muchas gracias! Todos estamos contentos de haber entretenido a personas de todo el mundo." Yaoyorozu replied. Todoroki's blank look just moved from the blonde to her, unchanged.

"Yaoyorozu Momo! ¿Puedo obtener tus dos autógrafos?"* Said the blonde, as she handed a piece of paper and a pen to the creation heroine. The son of Endeavor watched his classmate sign the paper before she handed it to him.

"Write your name. Don't ask." Yaoyorozu said. The son of Endeavor did as he was told, and gave the paper back to the blond. She said what Todoroki assumed was a 'thank you' before she left.

"What was that about?" He asked Yaoyorozu, who couldn't help but chuckle at his obliviousness to the situation.

"She's a fan from the sports festival, just wanted our autographs. Boy, I'm not used to you looking confused like this." She said, unable to control her laughter.

"Well, you shouldn't." The son of Endeavor smiled slightly at the view of his happy classmate. For a moment, seeing her so carefree made him forget all about the dreams he's been having. Perhaps this was a better idea than he thought after all...

"Alright, how about we start the tour? We got a long day ahead of us." Yaoyorozu stood back upright again and took a breath. Agreeing, Todoroki followed her lead.

* * *

Dusk was closing in and Todoroki had only forgotten about the dream for a few moments. He had hoped that going out would give him a chance to get distracted enough to forget about it, but so far nothing managed to hit home. Even though he had fun looking at all the sights and learning about them from Yaoyorozu, he'd always remember the way she looked at him back then, her head on the ground in a pool of blood. He sighed as he pushed the image out of his brain. The whole ordeal was too stupid to even think about, yet he couldn't stop it from popping into his brain. It angered him that he couldn't focus as much as he used to.

"….the Sagrada Familia Church is still an incomplete work, though. It is actually scheduled to be fully complete eight years from now. So tha-" Yaoyorozu stopped to look at Todoroki, who was absentmindedly looking at the ground as they walked, obviously not listening. Sighing, she stood in front of him and looked squarely at him.

"You didn't want to see any of this, did you?" She said. He almost raised his brows at that. Almost.

"I'm sor-"

"It's okay. I could tell you have something you want off your mind since we met at the airport, anyway. Come on, we're outta here." She said, as she took his hand and led him away….

* * *

The sun set slowly as Todoroki and Yaoyorozu sat on a bench in a theme park, eating pudding. They both watched kids running around and felt the soft breeze brush against their skins. The creation heroine broke the silence.

"So, what's going on?"

"I don't want to talk about it. Why do you wanna know, anyway?"

"Because you're my friend, Todoroki. I have to help you in any way I can."

Todoroki narrowed his eyes slightly. He couldn't tell her about his dream, he had a reputation to keep. But she went on and mentioned the word 'friend', making the whole thing that much harder on him.

"Look, Yaoyorozu-"

"Please, call me Yao-Momo."

"Alright. Yao-Momo, look, I appreciate your concern. Really. But this isn't something you should be troubled with, believe me." He attempted to persuade her.

"Maybe. But wouldn't you end up feeling better about opening up? And if it makes you feel better, I'll try my best to forget what you tell me. No offense, of course." Surprisingly, Todoroki sighed, as if accepting defeat.

"No changing your mind, huh? Okay then. I'll tell you."

He took a deep breath, looking at the ground as he prepared himself to talk. Yao-Momo looked at him expectantly as he opened his mouth to speak.

"I had this dream. You and some of our classmates were attacked by someone and I couldn't save any of you. Apparently, I could've done something about it, but I didn't by choice. That angered you guys a lot."

A few moments of silence passed like hours, yet they were broken by Yao-Momo's laughing, even though they weighed tons for the son of Endeavor. Todoroki looked at her in a bit of a surprise.

"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. But, look, Todoroki, I understand. The possibility that that dream might be a vision scares you a bit, but let me ask you a question. Did anyone of us call you 'not a hero'?" She asked, marking air quotes with her hands.

"Yeah.." He said, interested in what she has to say.

"Then you have absolutely nothing to worry about! Cuz you already _are_ a hero. Remember our practical exam? Who helped me believe in myself again and come up with that plan to beat Mr. Aizawa? It was you. Who went to Midoriya's and Iida's rescue when they were fighting Stain, the notorious Hero Killer whose name struck fear in the heart of whoever heard it? You. That dream can't be a vision because it isn't like Todoroki Shoto to not give it his all in a fight, especially if someone's life is on the line."

The son of Endeavor looked at her as she talked. She was right. He'd accomplished too much to afford to tear it down like that because of a mere dream. He clutched his right fist and stood up.

"You're right. I don't know what came over me. Thank you for helping me out… Yao-Momo." He said with a slight smile.

She stood up, and smiled back. The creation heroine felt happy. Todoroki had acknowledged her completely as a friend by using her nickname, and that was big for him. For _her_. Her happiness was suddenly turned into surprise as she felt her ice cream melt on her fingers.

"Oh man..." She pouted as she looked for a tissue in her purse. When she found one, though, she didn't find the molten ice cream on her hand and the ice cream in the cone wasn't melting anymore. She looked at Todoroki, a playful smile on his face.

"Don't look so surprised. My Quirk is not just for fighting, y'know." He said, still smiling.

"Thanks. Guess we're even now."

"I guess."

They both chuckled as they continued on their journey...

* * *

Night had finally fallen. At the hotel's entrance stood Todoroki and Yao-Momo, saying their goodbyes to each other.

"Good tour, Yao-Momo. We should do it again some time. And thanks again for helping me out."

"Anytime. Anyway, that's me. I'll see you around. Thanks again for dropping me off." She said as she got inside with a smile on her face.

Upstairs, in her suite, she threw herself on her bed once she entered her bedroom. It wasn't out of tiredness though. Actually, it was the contrary, she was too happy to sleep; she just wanted to relax. A certain guy with a crystal-dense icy exterior opened up to her, and that was a huge deal for both of them. She looked out the window at the stars.

"This'll be even more fun than last time, won't it? Well, I can't wait to see how it'll turn out."

* * *

 *** Translation of Spanish dialogue:**

 **Blonde:** "Oh, my God, Todoroki Shoto ?! I'm a great admirer of yours! I saw you during the sports festival!"

 **Yaoyorozu:** "Thank you very much! We are all happy to have entertained people from all over the world."

 **Blonde:** "Yaoyorozu Momo! Can I get both your autographs?"


	4. Panther in the Dark

_**Chapter 4**_

 _ **Panther in the Dark**_

Inmates hustled and bustled around him during lunch time. It was the norm at that time of day, for no one was satisfied with their food. Most of them were either big shot villains who got what they wanted by force or underdogs who tried to prove their strength. It was ridiculous how people, no matter what their rank in society, could measure strength by their ability to attain the best and most food. It was almost like humanity was at its dawn all over again.

He lifted his head from his plate and his eyes landed on someone at the far corner of the room, tied up with high-tech cuffs and being held to a metal board by metallic belts. The man smiled to himself and excused himself from the quiet table at which he sat.

He walked across to the tied up prisoner and became capable of making out his features, which is saying a lot. The man had no eyes and very little of everything else. The eyeless inmate was being fed by a machine, so as not to be freed of his restraints. When he arrived, the man coughed.

"Hello." Said the man.

"Oh. It's _you_." Was the eyeless man's reply.

"You know who I am?"

"Yes. I'm sure that you're not used to people knowing who you are, given how your history was quickly covered up by the government after your arrest, but I do. You see…. I am a man of many talents." The eyeless man replied, causing the other man to smile, his teeth clear and shiny under the fluorescent lights.

"That I know. Your Quirk helps you acquire these talents. Well, your original one, anyway. I'm glad I could talk with someone like you…. All for One."

"So, I guess we can skip the introductions then. What do you want with me?" Said All for One with a glare, and the conversation was reduced to a whisper.

"I want out of here. Someone's head belongs on my wall and yet it is not there yet. I need your help." Said the man, his face still concealed by the dark.

"And why should I?" All for One said. It was then that the man noticed that the tied-up man seemed to know where he stood exactly despite having no eyes, which made him that much more interested.

"Because you get to kill All Might….and Midoriya Izuku. With your own hand."

All for One looked at him for a while, pondering the deal. There he was, promised freedom if he helped this man achieve his goals, as well as a chance to kill the living bearers of One for All. He didn't know much about the guy, yet he didn't have much to lose. The eyeless man smirked devilishly.

"Come closer and tell me what you need…. Ex-Hero of the impossible."

* * *

Todoroki had woken up with a jolt that morning. Another dream? His patience was at an end as it was and despite the day he had spent with Yao-Momo, that dream still haunted his sleep. At that moment, he was training his left on a few special moves he had come up with on his way home the previous night, trying to get his mind off of it. He aimed at one of the metal weights from the training room, took a deep breath and held it, and finally fired at it. He released the breath he held and smiled; the weight didn't melt. His control over his fire seemed to have drastically improved.

The son of Endeavor glanced at the clock, and felt a little proud of himself. He'd been training for two hours straight and he could feel it pay off. Grabbing a towel, he made his way upstairs to take a shower, when his phone buzzed all of a sudden. He opened it to see a text.

* * *

 **Yao-Momo:** Hi. :D

 **Todoroki:** Hello, Yao-Momo.

 **Yao-Momo:** How r u?

* * *

Todoroki raised an eyebrow. Was there a meaning behind her texting him, or did she just want to talk a bit?

* * *

 **Todoroki:** I'm fine. Although, to be honest, I wasn't expecting a text from you, so I'm a little surprised.

 **Yao-Momo:** Oh… hope I'm not interrupting anything.

 **Todoroki:** Not at all. Anyway, how r u?

* * *

Todoroki made it to his room and wiped the sweat off his forehead with his towel. He watched as the creation heroine typed, and awaited her response.

* * *

 _Thirty minutes later:_

 **Todoroki:** Well, I can't say I'm surprised. Even her Quirk suggests that she's into that kind of stuff.

 **Yao-Momo:** Ikr? Jiro also tells me that her band might perform at our school some time next year!

* * *

Todoroki checked the time on his phone and couldn't believe that half an hour had passed already; it felt like they'd just been talking for like five minutes. He stood up and decided that he needed to take a shower and go eat something.

* * *

 **Todoroki:** Cool. Hey, look, I'm gonna go grab a bite to eat. Talk to you later, okay?

 **Yao-Momo:** Sure. See ya later. :D

* * *

The son of Endeavor put his phone down and made his way into the shower, his mind racing with a lot of thoughts.

* * *

Yao-Momo put her phone down on the coffee table and took a sip of her orange juice. She had felt like she needed to talk to someone, but she never thought she'd talk, to Todoroki of all people, for thirty whole minutes. Knowing him, he'd usually try and end the conversation as soon as possible.

She smiled to herself. She felt happy that he was finally opening up to someone and even happier that it was her. She knew that people like Todoroki didn't feel that comfortable talking freely with others, unless they indisputably trust them.

The creation heroine made her way towards the balcony, a book resting on the table. Her juice in hand, she sat down, opened the book and enjoyed the soft breeze against her skin. Yet, she couldn't stop thinking about Todoroki.

Her mind drifted to the little thought she had the previous day about him being handsome and the rush of adrenaline that followed it. She never felt this way before… She couldn't properly translate it. Did she like Todoroki? No way. It wouldn't have felt like that if such was the case. Even if she did, he wouldn't be that thrilled about it anyway. Well, maybe she didn't like him, then. That also couldn't have been, he didn't do anything for her to feel like that. Exasperated, she closed her book and looked onto the horizon.

The trip was supposed to be about her having fun, but the new feeling worried her. She was afraid that it would drag out long enough to distract her from her hero training, so she needed to get it out of her head. She got into her room, changed, and decided to go for a walk.

* * *

The jet flied over lands, making its way through the clouds. The impossible's ex-hero looked out the window of the private vehicle, pondering several matters in his head. He looked at those accompanying him.

"Has our guest arrived?" He asked.

"Yes, for a couple of days now. I've been doing my part since." Said a white haired lady, young in age, but her crimson eyes spelt the venom of seasoned vipers hunting prey.

"Good. And what about our _friend_ in Spain?"

"Awaiting your orders, sir." Said a bulky man dressed in a suit and glasses, looking as strict as a government official.

"Alright then, send him word. Also, will you notify our other friend in Japan of the start of our plan?" Said the man, his teal eyes shining in the darkness.

The lady bowed and left the room. The Ex-hero of the Impossible looked out the window and smirked in satisfaction.

"Your suffering begins now, Endeavor. And I'll make sure to hit you where it hurts."

* * *

Yao-Momo walked down the streets of Barcelona, taking in the scene at night. At that particular part in Barcelona, the locals seemed to never sleep, the city always bustling with life. She found that to be the perfect distraction from Todoroki…

…Except she wasn't so distracted.

She made peace with the thought that she _may_ have had a crush on Todoroki. She was a teenage girl, after all. However, she still couldn't let herself be distracted by that for as long as it lasted. She was never gonna pursue anything, so it was only logical that she couldn't afford to be hindered by this.

Yao-Momo stopped in her tracks, getting a strange sensation, as if someone was following her. Turning around, she saw no one specially suspicious. Although, if someone was following her, they wouldn't be obvious about it, would they? She needed to open her mind up a bit more for that one. Maybe she could lure them?

Yao-Momo entered an alley, discreetly making a silent alarm with her Quirk and put it in her pocket, so that she would call for help in case her suspicions were real. The creation heroine may have had acquired her provisional license, but she was still forbidden from hurting anyone with her Quirk outside of Japan. She walked a bit into the alley and turned towards the entrance to see if her chaser would reveal their identity.

"Bold move, ponytail." Yao-Momo jumped at the voice coming from above her, as a man clad in black landed before her.

Someone _was_ chasing her. A man wearing a black sleeveless trench coat, with matching pants and boots. He also wore a black mask to cover his mouth and nose, and a black cowboy hat to top it off. However, what intrigued her the most was the way his fingers were in the shape of sharp, metallic knives, ready to slice on command. The creation heroine took a few steps back and discreetly pressed the button in her pocket.

" _I can't fight him, or else my parents will have to deal with the police. I need to buy time till someone who can fight him comes._ "

"So, ponytail, I'm here to play. Care to join me?" He said, sadism in his eyes.

"Sorry, but I have plans."

"Pretty please?"

"Leave now."

Unaffected by her firmness, the man chuckled.

"Ah, I do like it rough. In that case, I'll just have to show you… HOW MUCH PLAYING'S FUN WITH ME!" The man said as he lunged at her, his claws hoping to taste blood.

Yao-Momo narrowly dodged his attack and stepped on his foot. With the guy distracted for a minute, she ran away as far as she could into the alley. Moments later, she could hear him running after her. Then suddenly, the sound of his boots against the ground stopped.

She decided that she couldn't afford to stop; he might have had a trap set for her. Running onward, she was stopped in her tracks when he landed in front of her suddenly. She turned around and started running in the other direction.

"You can run, beautiful, but you can't hide!" His voice echoed as she ran.

She knew as she ran that he was easily following her, yet she couldn't stop. She needed to buy time till someone got there and the clawed man seemed to be quite cocky in his ability to jump up on people, so she was trying to exploit that particular weakness of his. She stopped when she met a dead end.

"Well, well, the mouse has no place to run to anymore, huh? Now you can neither run nor hide." Said the man, blocking her way back.

"Who are you and what do you want from me?" She asked, sounding as intimidating as she could muster.

"All that is for me to know and for you to not concern yourself about. What matters is that you're coming with me." He said, approaching her.

"Over my dead body!" She backed up till she hit the wall.

"Now, now, that wouldn't please the boss. I need you alive. And since I'd just hate to scar such a pretty face for life, I advise you to come with me the easy way."

"No way! Back off!" She said, watching as he approached her slowly. She needed to get out of that pinch, but how?

Finally, she had an idea. Once he was a suitable distance from her, she produced a tiny little ball and threw it at him, the ball opening up to become a net.

The man momentarily down, she made a run for it, hearing the sound of the fabric tearing behind her as she receded.

She stopped when she heard an exasperated yell from above her, seeing the guy descending from above, claws at the ready. Jumping back, she dodged and his claws got stuck in the ground instead. He turned to her, his eyes filled with rage and impatience. She turned to run yet again, but he angrily yanked his hands out and jumped in front of her.

"Alright, that's enough cat and mouse for one day. Time to finish the job." He said, preparing to strike her.

His claw never came down, though. Surprised, the man looked up and found his hand held still by... wood? He looked up and was met with the eyes of the seventh most powerful hero in the entire world, Kamui Woods.

"You're coming with me, dude." He said, pulling the clawed man to him before punching him into a wall.

The clawed man rubbed the sore spot and watched as Kamui Woods advanced. Realising he failed, he threw something on the ground as hard as he could.

"A smoke bomb?!" Yao-Momo exclaimed as the guy disappeared into the smoke.

* * *

Todoroki was sitting in the living room, flipping through the channels. Nothing was of interest to him, and he had nothing better to do. He stopped at the news, figuring something of interest might come up.

" **…And Kamui Woods, the currently number seven hero, strikes again, saving a girl from an unknown attacker. Even though the girl has been returned safely to her home, it is advised to be cautious, as the villain managed to escape his encounter with Woods. The girl was in luck, as the time of the unexplained attack coincided with a visit from one of the world's top ten heroes to the renowned city of Barcelona. Not much is known about the attacker, unfortunately, but the police say that…** "

Todoroki was interrupted by a knock on the door. He glanced at the clock. 9:43 PM. Who would knock on his door at that time? Keeping his guard up, he carefully opened the door, and found quite a surprise awaiting him...


	5. Ex-Hero of the Impossible

_**Chapter 5**_

 _ **Ex-Hero of the Impossible**_

Todoroki stood opening the door in disbelief for a bit. His eyes slightly widened by his surprise visitor, he finally managed to talk.

"Yao-Momo? What's going on?" He asked her, stepping aside to let her in.

"I'm so sorry to bother you at this hour, Todoroki, but it's kind of urgent. My parents are in Madrid for their business, so you're the only one I know around." She said, her voice a little shaken. Todoroki looked at her intently; panting, her face almost completely devoid of colour, sweat dripping from her forehead. Something was _definitely_ up.

The son of Endeavor led his visitor to the living room and was surprised to see her walk in with a suitcase. Figuring it would all come together when she explained everything to him, he sat across from her as she settled on the couch. He turned and called for Arthur, the butler coming into the living room as quickly as possible.

"Yes, master?" Said the elderly man with a bow.

"A cup of tea. Best one you can muster. As quick as you can, too."

"Of course."

Arthur having left the room, Todoroki turned back to his friend.

"So, what's going on?" He asked, looking at her intently.

"Well, if you haven't heard, there was an attack on someone by a villain. That'd be me." She said, waiting to see Todoroki's reaction.

Todoroki raised his brows a little. He didn't expect the target of the attack to be Yao-Momo, yet he could imagine. Maybe the League of Villains had something to do with it? How would they know that she would be here in Barcelona, though? Many questions roamed in his head, but he figured that he should let her continue and gestured for her to do so.

"Well, if Kamui Woods hadn't shown up when he did, I would've been seriously hurt. And most likely kidnapped. Anyway, I called my parents and they think I can't stay alone till they return..."

"You're asking me if you could stay here for a few days?"

"Well….Please? I realise that it may be inappropriate, but you're the only one I know around here, and-"

The creation heroine was cut off when Arthur came back into the room and set her tea in front of her, alongside a small pot of sugar and a spoon. After she thanked him, Todoroki stood up.

"Arthur, this is Yaoyorozu Momo, a friend of mine. She'll be staying with us for a few days, so I'm gonna need you to be around for her if she needs any help around the house. At least when I'm training. If you could prepare one of the guest rooms for her, I would be very grateful." He said, Yao-Momo's eyes widening.

"It would be my pleasure, sir. May I?" Arthur reached for her luggage and took it upstairs. Once he was out, she turned to Todoroki, surprise apparent on her face.

"Todoroki, are you sure? You haven't even asked me how long I'm staying..."

"I don't need to. You need help, so it's only natural I'm there for you. You understand, we're both training to be heroes, right?" He said, causing her expression to change into one of happiness.

"Thank you so much, Todoroki. I really don't know what to say; this means so much to me!" She said, as he sat down.

Todoroki felt good. Yao-Momo had helped him with his dream and even though it didn't stop haunting him, he had been dealing with it better since their talk. At that moment, the son of Endeavor was thankful a chance presented itself for him to return the favour. Above that, he knew that helping people out was a basic hero trait, so making that decision was bound to take him far in his training. Regardless, he knew that he had more immediate issues to tend to, so he turned to his friend.

"You can thank me by telling me more. And I'm talking every little detail…"

* * *

At a warehouse on the outskirts of Barcelona, the ex-hero of the impossible sat at the head of the table, his companions sitting around him. To his right was the lady with white hair and crimson eyes, as well as the clawed man clad in black. On his left were two more men. One was bulky and bearded, a scar running down his face and through his left eye. He wore a green tank and baggy army pants, topping off with a skull pendant around his neck. The other one was much sleeker, looking basically like a snake. He'd occasionally stick his tongue put for breath and his eyes scanned the room with venomous intimidation. He wore a black robe covering his whole body, the hoodie off for the moment.

The impossible's ex-hero sighed exasperatedly as he looked at the clawed man.

"How could you fail? Capturing a little girl was your mission, yet you botch things up like that. You really are an amateur, aren't you, Cleave?"

"She was just lucky that pro came to help her. I'm not even sure what he's doing in Barcelona." Was Cleave's retaliaton.

"Right. Cuz that'sss the part to focuss on." Said the snake, earning a glare from Cleave.

" _Anyway_. My point is, I can get her. I just need another go at this."

The ex-hero stood and walked over to a window viewing the city. His back to the group, he pondered on several scenarios and came up with a decision.

"No." He said, shocking Cleave.

"What? Why?! I assure you, boss, I-"

"I. Said. No." He turned back to the meeting and glared Cleave into sitting down calmly. He took a device out of his pocket and pressed a button on it.

"Sat, where is she now?" He said, talking into the device.

" **At the kid's house. She'll be staying there for a few days.** " Sat replied through the device.

"Still can't believe we have a satellite." Said the bulky man.

"It pays to know me, Fist." Replied the Ex-hero.

"What do we do now? The kid's tough. I hate to admit it, but he's giving even me a run for my money. He's not easy to break." Said the lady.

"That may be. However, they're still bound by hero law, so they can't fight back. Slizzle." The ex-hero turned to the snake.

"Finally, some fun." The snake smiled maliciously and nodded as he wore his hood and left.

* * *

 _Meanwhile, earlier that day:_

At seven o'clock in the morning back in Japan, Midoriya jogged through the streets wearing his light blue training jumpsuit. He had to meet All Might down at the beach for a training session and he thought he could jog on his way there as prepping for it.

As the bearer of One for All made his way through town, his mind couldn't help but wander to the previous day's news. A sudden attack by a villain, as well as a breaking out of the prison holding All for One… could those two incidents be somehow related?

He had definitely hoped they managed to keep All for One from escaping. Otherwise, things would get real ugly. Midoriya's head went down a different path, as he started suspecting whether the League of Villains were actually behind the whole thing. If that's the case, then Midoriya would need to keep his guard up and might even have to notify the pros and his classmates if he sees anything suspicious.

He arrived at the beach and saw his mentor watching the view of the sea while waiting for him. Midoriya jogged over towards him.

"Hey, All Might!" Midoriya said as he reached the former symbol of peace.

"Young Midoriya. Good morning. You seem to be ready to start right away." Said All Might, wanting to get to business as quickly as possible.

"You bet I am. What do you have in store for me today?"

"Well, I got some work for you, but it's kind of a walk from here. Your first drill would be walking with me, all the while with Full Cowl on."

"Alright then, after you." Said Midoriya with a smile.

The two started walking along the beach, the soft morning breeze flying past them, carrying the all-familiar scent of the sea as green arcs of electricity danced around Midoriya. The young bearer of One for All found himself once again thinking about the previous night's news, though. The two incidents didn't seem like a coincidence. How could they have happened so quickly in succession anyway? Unless it had been planned beforehand, of course. But who would do such a thing? While it was a possibility, something told Midoriya it wasn't quite All for One…

"Something's on your mind." The young man was snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of his mentor's voice.

"It's nothing, just thinking about last night's news."

"Fifty villains breaking out of Tartarus, followed by an attack in Barcelona. The whole ordeal seems fishy to me. Something's not quite… in place. However, I called Tsukauchi and he said that All for One is still there, which is a relief." The former hero replied.

"Yeah, I guess. But if you ask me, that makes it even more puzzling. Why would he deliberately miss a chance to come and have a rematch against us? I hate to say this, but wouldn't it be the perfect opportunity to end the lineage of One for All?" Midoriya asked.

"That's right. I believe that it may not be him after all. No clue so as to who, though."

The two halted their conversation as they arrived at a hut. Midoriya went inside with All Might to see the equipment and powered down out of his Full Cowl state. The equipment weren't gym-level, but they certainly looked like they could make a difference.

"Alright then, Young Midoriya, I want you to carry this bar on your shoulders and do fifty squats. Afterwards, you'll take these slightly-lighter weights and run for thirty minutes around the beach. We'll see what comes afterwards. Ready?"

"Yes!" Midoriya said, as he wrapped his hands around the bar of cement weights.

"Begin!"

On the mark, Midoriya lifted the weight with all the power he can muster without utilizing his Quirk and placed them on his shoulders for further support. Taking a deep breath, he started squatting.

" _One_ _…Two…Three…_ " The former symbol of peace counted under his breath as his successor started his training for the day.

Midoriya struggled under the weight he was carrying, but alas he enjoyed it. He knew that all the hardships he'd go through were nothing more than steps towards becoming the hero he dreams of becoming. Someone worthy of succeeding the symbol of peace and a hero that saves people with a fearless grin. That was his origin and by remembering it, he felt the training become that much easier.

Midoriya had to stop for a second when he noticed something out the corner of his eye. Movement. Bizarre motion in a dark corner of the hut. Midoriya followed the shadow intently till it made its move.

Quickly activating Full Cowl, the heir of One for All threw the weight, grabbed his master and got out of the hut, a blow sounding from where All Might once stood. Outside, the young man set his master down.

"Thanks for saving me, young man. But what was that?!" Their answer would soon be answered as the attacker revealed himself from within the hut.

The Sludge Villain who attacked Midoriya the day he and All Might first met came pouring out of the hut. Literally. The muddy figure reformed his face and smiled maliciously at the One for All duo.

"Well, well, All Might's true form. It's maddening that someone like you beat me twice. Guess it's just the young days, huh? I'll enjoy ripping you apart this time!" Sludge Said, big eyes glaring daggers at All Might.

"…Who are you again?" Said All Might, sweat-dropping.

"Wha-? You don't remember me?! Fine. I'll make sure I'm always… _in your heart_." Sludge started making his way towards the older man, but Midoriya stepped in-between.

"All Might. Please let me take him on." Suggested the heir of One for All, rendering his master speechless for a minute.

"…Fine. You can fight him. But don't you get hurt on me, young man." Said All Might, taking a few steps back to let them fight.

Midoriya turned back towards the villain, and assumed his Full Cowl once again. Sludge only smiled in response.

"All right, fine. You seem strong enough for a host. And you know what they say… Strong fists do the impossible." Midoriya raised an eyebrow at the phrase, but failed to notice the shocked look on his master's face.

" _Did he just say…?_ " All Might thought as Sludge took the first swing.

" _If I remember correctly, both his fights with All Might went down in very few hits, so he isn't really that smart in combat. However, All Might's attacks are mainly fists, whereas I mainly fight with my legs now. Using air pressure will be much harder. In that case..._ " Midoriya thought as he ducked and propelled himself off the sand in his crouched position, launching himself forward.

Charging from down low, Midoriya got ready for the next move. Sludge extended another arm aimed at the young man's face, only for him to leap in the air.

Sludge grit his teeth as Midoriya approached him quicker than he imagined. The heir of One for All smiled, as he readied himself to end the fight.

" _Shoot… Style!_ " The kick connected with the villain's face and the force behind it just enough to send him screaming into the sea.

The heir of One for All smiled as he felt the villain's skull against his foot. He's theory was right after all. He landed and turned to an applauding All Might.

"Quick thinking, and on-point judgement. You quickly realised the differences between both fights and came up with a way to win instantly despite them. Good job." Said a smiling All Might.

"Thanks!"

"Although, you shouldn't throw your enemies into the sea; it's just bad to the ecosystem."

"It was all I could think of… but I'll work on that!" Said Midoriya, his enthusiasm unaffected by the comment.

"Something's bugging me though. That saying he mentioned…" The former hero started thinking, as the words played over and over in his head.

"It _is_ strange. I've never heard it before." Said Midoriya.

"I have. And I don't like this. We gotta make some calls."

* * *

Todoroki sat patiently as Yao-Momo told him her story, taking mental notes as she went on. From her description of the guy, he didn't seem like someone they would've seen among the ranks of the League of Villains before. He didn't sound like a Nomu either. They were dealing with someone new, a force they knew nothing about.

The son of Endeavor rubbed his chin and looked at the ground as he thought things over. He knew that they would definitely strike again and while he didn't come to Barcelona for more drama, he couldn't abandon his friend when she needed him the most. He looked up at her.

"I think it's safe to say that they're gonna try again. Between you and me though, we can definitely get a few words out of them, know why they're following you. Just keep your eyes peeled."

"Alright. Although, I must say that I'm really sorry to drag you into this mess." Said Yao-Momo, looking away.

"Hey, it's okay. Really." Said Todoroki, trying his best to show a reassuring smile.

"Thank you."

They were interrupted by the ringing of Todoroki's phone, Midoriya's name flashing on the screen. Sharing a look with the creation heroine, Todoroki picked up the phone and answered.

"Hello?"

" **Hel- Hey!** " Midoriya's voice came before fading away.

" **Young Todoroki. This is All Might.** "

"I noticed. What's up?"

" **Listen very carefully to what I'm about to say and make sure to remember it. I heard from Young Midoriya that you were in Barcelona, so you must pay very close attention. If you haven't heard, there was a break out of Tartarus prison, and fifty villains escaped. While All for One did not escape, another equally dangerous man has. If my hunch is correct… he may be after you.** "

"What? Who is that man?"

" **His name is Alloy. They call him the 'Ex-Hero of the Impossible'.** "

"Alloy..? I heard that once before when I was a kid. But wait, ex-hero?"

" **Yes. He was once a great hero, one who stopped at nothing to fulfill peace and protect those in need. Then, for some reason, he started resorting to violence when dealing with villains to the point it was just unsanitary.** "

"Any idea why is that?"

" **Well… I was hoping you wouldn't ask, but he and your father had a bit of a falling out. You see, they were both an unstoppable duo. No matter the villain or the catastrophe, if both of them were on the scene, people were guaranteed safety. However, a young man started spreading ideals about how most heroes were fakers who only worked to satisfy themselves rather than for the good of the public, as well as how criminals should be purged altogether. You know the guy, he's Stain. Anyway, I'm guessing Alloy started believing all he said and ended up becoming too violent. He started getting warnings and the police went after him when he ignored those.**

 **He then went overboard from there onwards. He started running away from the police and would even kill innocents if he had to. Then, one day, your father tried talking sense into him, but when Alloy refused to budge… Endeavor had to make the hard decision and place his best partner in prison himself.** "

"And now he's out, looking for revenge. Still, how does he know where I am? And does this have anything to do with the attack from earlier tonight?"

" **I'm not sure about either of those, but I'm guessing the attack and Alloy's escape are connected somehow. The attack happened not so long after the break out, and it was in Barcelona. Assuming they know your location, this may very well be a warning shot.** "

"That makes sense. How did you end up calling me, though?"

" **Young Midoriya and I were attacked this morning. Don't ask for details, but the guy said a certain phrase Alloy was known for saying occasionally, especially after he went overboard.** **'** **Strong fists do the impossible.'** "

"I guess I should be talking to my old man about this. Thanks for the heads-up."

" **Just be careful. If possible, you should come back to Japan as soon as you can.** "

"Alright, I'll try. I'll talk to you later."

Todoroki hung up the phone. Leaving seemed to be the logical solution, but the son of Endeavor wasn't sure about it. If that Alloy person knew their location and could follow Yao-Momo when she merely wandered the streets, then it couldn't have been beyond him to stop them from leaving. No, leaving seemed out of the question. He turned to Yao-Momo and he filled her in.

"Well, my old man's made someone really pissed a long time ago and now he probably wants to kill us in revenge. Ever heard of someone called Alloy?"

"Yeah, I did. Bits and pieces though. And he's after us? But why?" She said in disbelief.

"I'm guessing the old man's got us wrapped up in yet another mess."

"So, what're you saying?"

"The best course of action would normally be going back to Japan, but I think if they already know who we are and that we're here in Barcelona, then they must've thought we'd do that already. If we try to leave, they'll most probably either stop us or just follow us back home."

"I see. Well then, we should at least hold them off for now, till we find an opening to leave." Suggested Yao-Momo.

"Agreed. But first, I need to have a talk with my old man."


	6. Endeavor Looks Back

_**Chapter 6**_

 _ **Endeavor Looks Back**_

Officers and investigators roamed Tartarus, running about looking for evidence in regards to the escaped villains. Tsukauchi looked over two lists he and his team had formed, one of the prisoners who were in Tartarus before the escape and one of the ones who were there at that moment. The officer had cross-referenced them and made a third list, one of the villains who had escaped. Fifty villains, most of them nobodies. _Most_.

Tsukauchi rubbed his chin at a few names on the list. The first one was Goki Makoto, formerly the hero known as Alloy. Alloy's story was considered tragic for a hero, but then again when good men fall, they fall hard. Nevertheless, if Alloy escaped, one would at least expect the Hero Killer Stain to as well…

The officer looked behind him when he heard footsteps. The number one hero, Endeavor, did not look happy. He looked impatient, frustrated… and sleep-deprived? Tsukauchi decided he should focus on more important matters than the flame hero's bedtime.

"Endeavor. Good to see you. This is a list of all those who escaped." Tsukauchi handed the list to the flame hero.

" _He escaped, huh? That can't be good._ " Thought Endeavor as he noticed Alloy's real name on the list, before scanning the rest of the list.

"I'm more concerned about two villains who _didn't_ escape. I'll be back in a minute. Mind if I hold onto this?" Endeavor gestured to the list and Tsukauchi nodded.

The flame hero walked through the prison corridors and came across a giant, white, metallic door. Furrowing his eyebrows, he pushed the door and walked into the dark room. As his eyes got used to the darkness gradually, Endeavor saw the eyeless man tied to the metal board. All for One lifted his head as Endeavor sat before him.

"Ah. The number one hero. To what do I owe the pleasure?" All for One smiled.

"You know about the escape. Actually, I think you have something to do with it, so spill." Endeavor's voice dripped of venom.

"Why, I can't believe you would assume such a thing! I'm officially offended."

"Then half my job is done. About the other half… You should know that right now, I have a license that allows me to burn your disfigured face off and walk away without a care in the world. The only thing stopping me from doing that is because I know you have something to hide. Now, tell me what you know about the escape." All for One pondered Endeavor's words for a moment.

"I see. In that case, the truth is I know nothing about this matter. Your answers are not with me." All for One replied with a collected tone, causing Endeavor to sigh.

"Okay, then. How about this?" Endeavor slammed a picture on the table between them. One of a middle-aged, brown haired man with a beard, looking elegant in a gray suit.

"Alloy. Talk." Endeavor eyed the man closely, silence hanging between them for a while.

"I know nothing you don't already know." All for One maintained his tone, but Endeavor grit his teeth.

"That right there is a lie. Now, unless you want your head to be on my wall, you'll talk." The flame hero lifted his hand and pointed his palm towards the prisoner's face.

"I had a talk with him. A talk about how much he hates you, how you betrayed him. He told me that if he were ever to get out of here, that he'd have _your_ head on _his_ wall. You may be the number one hero now, Endeavor… but you're not a symbol of peace; not with someone like that after you." All for One said, not flinching under the hero's heat.

Endeavor listened intently and struggled to keep his anger at bay. If it were up to him, All for One would have been cremated by then. Yet, the flame hero knew he had to put his job first, and that he needed the villain alive for the time being. He knew something and sooner or later, Endeavor would find out what it was.

Finding no point in staying any longer, the hero stood up and left, glaring at All for One a last time before leaving. Outside, an officer came up to him with a phone.

"Overseas call for you, sir. Someone who claims to know something about the case." The officer handed Endeavor the phone hurriedly.

"Endeavor here. Speak."

" **So, I have a question. You piss a crazy guy off years ago, and my friends and I are paying for it now…** **why exactly?** " Said the person on the other line.

"Shoto?! How do you-? No matter, I'm working right now; I don't have time for this."

" **Neither do I. Apparently, Alloy knows I'm in Barcelona and he knows who my friends are too. He seems to be sending people after us.** "

"You know just as well as I do that this is a mere possibility. Now, I need to go find out some facts." Endeavor was about to hang up.

" **All Might was attacked.** " Todoroki smirked, knowing that he must've gained Endeavor's interest.

"…when?"

" **This morning, by the beach. Midoriya was with him. According to them, it was a villain who was imprisoned in Tartarus, one with a sludge Quirk. I bet you'd find someone like that among the list of those who escaped.** "

"I'll check that out later. Do you have evidence so as to whether it really was Alloy who's after you or not?"

" **All Might told me of a quote the sludge guy said: 'Strong fists do the impossible'. That ring a bell?** " Endeavor fell silent for a bit before answering.

"Yes. Alloy's words. Look, Shoto, Alloy is a very dangerous man. Stay in-doors and try to leave as soon as you can."

" **I can't do that. Not when a criminal of his calibre is out there waiting for me to step outside of my house so he could kill me.** **Anyway, that's not why I called.** "

"Oh?"

" **Alloy knows me and my friends and he knows that a friend of mine and I are here in Barcelona. I want to know more about him myself, like how does he know our locations, and why he's attacking** _ **us**_ **.** " Todoroki's voice was serious, but Endeavor was not phased.

"I don't know. Now, I have to go."

" **Wai-** " But Endeavor hung up.

"Alloy… what happened?" Endeavor thought to himself out loud, his mind drifting to a day that passed long ago.

* * *

 _ **Twenty years ago:**_

 _A young, uprising Endeavor stood in front of a small house on the outskirts of the country side. The police were on their way, so he had to be fast in saving his friend. If he could convince him to yield… if he could get the old Alloy back, then maybe things might start shaping up._

 _Taking a deep breath, the flame hero looked the house over for any way in. Odds were such that his friend won't be likely to open up for him if he knocked on the door. Endeavor noticed the chimney and used his flames to fly himself up there to jump in._

 _The young hero fell with a thud, grey smoke filling his senses. Coughing, he stood up and dusted himself off._

 _"So this is what it feels like to be Santa." Endeavor looked around him for any sign of his friend._

 _He took a few steps forward and continued looking around. Nothing thus far, but Endeavor wasn't about to give up. He opened a door at the side, entering the kitchen. He saw a cup on the table and touching it, he found it to be rather cold. Not good enough._

 _However, the flame hero's eyes widened when he felt a cold hand on his face, pulling him below the table at the far end from the door. Endeavor looked beside him to find his friend crouched, a finger over his mouth._

 _"Koto, what are you doing?" Asked Endeavor in a whisper._

 _"That's my line, Enji." Replied Alloy._

 _"Actually, it's not. What's the matter with you? Why are you killing all these people? This isn't like you…"_

 _"But it is. I found the real me recently, Enji. This world is meant to be purified by us heroes, so if I can contribute to this feat, then I'll do my best for the sake of a better world." Alloy said with a firm stare._

 _"Yeah, and whispering under a table will help everyone." Endeavor said, rolling his eyes._

 _"Oh. Actually, I thought you were someone who was after me, so I thought I'd ambush you. Anyway, let's get out." They both got out from below the table. Endeavor dusted himself off and turned to his friend._

 _"Look, Koto. This has to stop. I know this isn't you, this is that Akaguro guy talking. Please, you gotta think about all this." Endeavor re-attempted at helping his friend._

 _"I already told you. This is me. I can't give up my role, not now. I can't let fakers tarnish the meaning of heroism any longer." Alloy turned his back to the flame hero, who grit his teeth._

 _"Liar. I don't buy it. Are you telling me that all these years you and I spent training, all what we've been through, it all means nothing to you?! No. I refuse to believe it." Endeavor said angrily._

 _"I see. So you insist on remaining one of the fakers instead of evolving into true heroism. I have to say, Enji, I'm quite disappointed." Alloy said. At that moment, both heroes looked towards the source of a sound, rising steadily and quickly. Sirens. The police closed in on them quickly._

 _Endeavor turned to his friend and decided that words won't help. He didn't have much time._

 _"Koto-"_

 _"Wait, you told on me?!" Alloy's face showed panic and range as he stared at Endeavor._

 _"What? No-"_

 _"You traitor!" Alloy punched Endeavor as hard as he can and rushed to the stairs._

 _Endeavor realised the situation as he took the punch. Alloy was as hard-headed as ever… so much so that there was only one way to help him. Eyes locked on his friend, Endeavor leapt and tackled him to the ground._

 _"Koto, listen! If you don't do as I say, then you'll be nothing more than a criminal, just like those you want to purge! C'mon, think straight for a second!" Yelled Endeavor._

 _"Get off me!" Alloy struggled under the flame hero's hold._

 _It wasn't long before they both heard the sound of the door breaking and saw the silhouettes of the S.W.A.T team flooding the house in search for them. These moments all passed like hours for Endeavor, as he watched them take Alloy away and confiscate him with specially designed handcuffs. The sight of Alloy's eyes as he entered the police car, glaring at him with intense hatred, spelling all kinds of promises of vengeance. Guilty as he felt, Endeavor knew that all of what happened was for the best, and that he did his best to help his friend._

 _Unbeknownst to him, though, Alloy never thought it was over…_

* * *

Endeavor was snapped out of his thoughts when he reached another metallic door. He remembered that day as though it was the day before, every detail of it crystal-clear in his memories. Nevertheless, he had changed since then. He knew that Alloy was a criminal, a murderer who needed to be punished severely. And the flame hero was about to meet that murderer's idealistic idol…

Endeavor opened the door and entered another dark room, that one's occupant though wasn't tied to a metallic board. He was, however, sitting in a cage. Endeavor sat on a chair in front of the cage, and the Hero Killer, Stain, looked up.

"Endeavor… what do you want with me?"

"Prisoners broke out of here, Stain. I think you might know something about it. Although, I must ask, why didn't you escape with them?" Endeavor glared at the killer.

"I can sense there's more to your visit than that. I didn't escape because this isn't my way of doing things. Clearing society is something I must do in my way, or else I'm no different than you fakers."

"Oh really?"

"You don't believe me?" Stain raised an eyebrow.

"I don't. I know you didn't escape because of your injury. You can't fight anymore because it slows you down." Endeavor stated matter-of-factly, causing Stain to furrow his brows.

"Alright. You got me. However, I repeat that I believe there's more to do with this visit than the escape."

"Not really. Now, tell me…" Endeavor showed the Hero Killer Alloy's picture.

"What do you know of this guy?"

"He's a true hero. Someone you can never mount too. You oughta follow in his footsteps, y'know." Stain said, smirking.

"A true hero wouldn't kill innocents, Stain. Even your ideals state so." Endeavor stated calmly.

Stain was silent. Endeavor made a good point.

"I admit, you have a point there. But that alone doesn't make you a true hero."

"Whether I'm a true hero or not is something I'll decide with my own two hands. With my own powers. You'll give me the answers I want."

"Ask away then."

"You and Alloy shared the same ideals. Were there any encounters between you two at all here?"

"Almost none, no. Pretty much just glancing at each other during lunch time."

"How about indirect contact? He didn't _send_ you anything or anyone?"

"…No…" Stain said, sweat-dropping at the question.

"Can you tell me what happened at the time of the escape?"

"It happened a little after lunchtime. I was here in my cell at the time, so I saw nothing. I heard, however, an explosion, followed by yelling and footsteps. After a while, it was stopped by who I assume are the guards. Of course, in the heroic society, everything is possible."

Endeavor thought it all over. Stain was a bit more talkative than All for One, but what he said wasn't something they didn't already know. The flame hero knew that the Hero Killer had something he was hiding. Only thing was, what?

"You want to know about your friend, don't you?" Endeavor was snapped out of his thoughts by Stain's statement.

"You still believe there's a chance to 'save him'. You're so desperate, you're holding onto this belief even though deep down, you know it's not true." The two men glared at each other, the flame hero's face stoic and empty.

Endeavor looked at him calmly, but in truth, he couldn't be angrier. Stain thought he had it all figured out. Well, he knew nothing. Endeavor threw the whole deal behind him and had pledged that should the need arise, he wouldn't hesitate to fight Alloy with his own two hands if it meant protecting the citizens.

However, something tugged at his heart. Remembering Alloy, the day he was arrested, the escape. All that brought the memories rushing back to him. How they trained together to become heroes and how they both rose through the ranks like the prodigies they were. Maybe Stain was right, perhaps the flame hero still hoped to save his friend.

But Endeavor wasn't one to let his feelings get the better of him.

"Keep sprouting trash all you want. This interrogation is over." The hero stood up and turned to leave. He stopped short in his tracks when the Killer called onto him.

"The kid's yours, isn't he? The one with ice and fire powers?"

"What about it?"

"He's a true hero. I could tell as I fought him and the other plain-looking kid. I shouldn't have to tell you this, but for the safety of the kid, you must act alone. Alloy's been... evolving." Stain said, his tone taking a sudden change.

"Tell me more." Endeavor turned towards him.

"Alloy followed your son. He's after him."

"How does he know where my son is?"

"I don't know. All I know is that he's after him and that he's already a few steps ahead."

"Why are you telling me this, Stain?"

"I told you. Your son's a true hero. Killing those is against my ideals."

"…I see."

Endeavor nodded and left the room, thoughts racing in his mind.

* * *

In the meantime, as Endeavor was undergoing his interrogations, Todoroki and Yao-Momo were still sitting in the living room. The son of Endeavor was looking at his phone, his father having hung up on him earlier. He set his phone down, sat on an armchair and turned to the creation heroine.

"Well, he hung up on me."

"Did he at least tell you anything?"

"Nothing much, but I was able to confirm that it is Alloy after All Might and Midoriya, so the chances that he's after us too just skyrocketed as well."

"Well, maybe we can find something about him on the internet. If he was that big a hero before, there's got to be some dirt on him somewhere, right?" Yao-Momo suggested, pulling her laptop from her bag.

"Logical. Although, if you ask me, I say we should do all that in the morning. It's been a long day, especially for you, so you should get some sleep."

"What? I'm fine! I can stay up all night." She said, but her face went red when she yawned.

"Definitely. But how about you sleep just in case? C'mon, I'll show you to your room." Todoroki slightly smirked.

Yao-Momo followed him up the stairs, only then realising how heavy her eyes felt. However, they wouldn't close, as though she just drank coffee. She couldn't stop thinking about the man who attacked her, as well as Alloy. She looked at Todoroki, walking in front of her; she couldn't help but feel sorry for him. It wasn't the first time he got wrapped up in one of his father's messes. However, he didn't look scared. He didn't look uncertain. On the contrary, he looked calm and ready to act when he needed to. He looked like a hero. She felt the blood rise to her cheeks as he turned to her when they reached the door…

"So this is you. Hope you find it comfortable." She was silent for a few seconds.

"Oh! I-I'm sure it's lovely. Thank you again for helping me out." Yao-Momo nodded with a smile, feeling herself sweating.

"No problem. You can stay for as long as you want. And hey?"

"Yes?"

"We'll find a way out of this. I promise. Now, goodnight." He said, before leaving with a smile.

"Goodnight…" She said, closing the door behind her as she entered.

Inside, she fell on the comfortable bed and sighed.

"Well, I guess that seals it. I definitely like him." She sighed again, the feelings roaming inside her completely foreign to her.

* * *

The next morning, Todoroki woke up to the sound of his phone ringing. His sister's name lit up the screen as the video call ringtone kept on sounding till he answered.

"Hello?" He said, sitting up in the bed.

" **Hey, Shoto! You look like you just woke up.** " Fuyumi's smiling face lit up the screen, talking through her headphones.

"It was a long night last night. Anyway, how's it going with you guys there?"

" **Pretty good, but maybe you should hear it from someone else.** " The Todoroki sister disappeared from view as she handed her phone and headphones to someone else.

" **Hey, dear! How can you leave without saying goodbye to your own mum? I must say I'm a little hurt.** " Todoroki Rei's face appeared in her daughter's stead, beaming at her son.

"Sorry about that, mum. If it makes you feel better, I miss you a lot. I brought you a few presents too." Todoroki smiled upon seeing his mother's comforting grey eyes.

" **Well, aren't you sweet? Anyway, how are you? I saw the news about last night's attack…** "

"Oh, I'm fine. A problem for the number one hero to solve, though." Todoroki said, rubbing the back of his neck.

" **Of course. All Might left him quite the place to fill. However, you shouldn't be lying to me, young man.** " Rei gave a knowing smile.

"No hiding from you, huh? Well, the victim of the attack was one of my friends. Her parents are out of town, and she needs to stay with someone right now, so she's staying with me." Todoroki chuckled.

" **That's kind of you. Done like a true hero.** " Rei smiled at her son.

"Thanks." The son of Endeavor replied. Silence fell between them for a bit, before the son broke it.

"Mum, I need your help with something. But promise me that you won't tell anyone about this."

" **Sure, son, anything.** "

"Well…"

* * *

The son of Endeavor went downstairs and entered the kitchen, thinking about the kind of breakfast he should be making. He had another mouth to feed, so he wanted to bring his A-game for her. It could help her improve her Quirk and it would definitely power him up for his own training. Considering the situation, he thought that they'd need all the help and improvement they could get. Facing Alloy himself might have been a mere possibility, but fighting more of his lackeys was a certainty.

Going into the kitchen, he stopped short in his tracks. Yao-Momo was standing over the table, placing two plates of scrambled eggs on it. He also saw a bowl of salad, plates of cheese and jam of various types, as well as the cutlery neatly placed before two plates. She smiled at his slightly surprised face.

"Morning! I hope you don't mind me doing this; I just wanted to make breakfast for you, since you let me stay with you and all." Yao-Momo said with a smile.

"Not at all… I was going to do this myself, really, so you didn't have to go through all this trouble." He said, taking in the delicious combination of scents filling the room.

"I just hope you like it. Now come on, let's dig in." She said, moving for the chair.

"Actually, can we invite Arthur to have breakfast with us? He ends up having breakfast alone most of the time, so…" He said.

"Well, sure, I definitely don't mind, but… I kinda didn't make enough for three." She said with concern.

"Don't worry about that. Arthur's breakfast is on me. Just cover the food up while I whip him something quickly." He said, as she covered the food and sat down.

"You look like you didn't sleep well." She stated as he grabbed two eggs from the fridge.

"Yeah, I guess I didn't. Although, you're not one to talk, you look as though you didn't sleep at all." He said, grabbing a pan.

"I _couldn't_ sleep at all. I couldn't stop thinking about the whole Alloy ordeal. On the plus side, though, I found out some stuff about him."

"Nice. What'd you find?"

"Well, I know his Quirk involves coating himself with a layer of any alloy he chooses. Kind of like Kirishima's Quirk, only more versatile because he can choose the alloy depending on the situation." Yao-Momo explained as Todoroki broke the eggs in a small bowl.

"Hence his name."

"Yeah, exactly. Also, before his downfall, he was ranked the world's third top hero, right after your father and All Might in their primes. It is also said that his capture was a common score for the two of them."

"I don't believe that. According to All Might, my old man was only there to try and snap him out of whatever state he was in. The way I see it, All Might must've been all it took to subdue him." Todoroki thought out loud.

"Perhaps. We don't really know what happened exactly. Anything is possible. Anyway, I also found out that his real name is Goki Makoto. He and your father were two students of one of the first classes to attend U.A., so they apparently go way back."

"He didn't say anything about it. He's a closed off guy, but I guess I felt a little bit of discomfort in his voice. I'm guessing the matter is one he had hoped to have been closed already."

"I guess. At least we know who we're dealing with, right?"

"Yeah, we do. Anyway, forget about all of that. It's time for breakfast." He said, placing Arthur's eggs on the table and calling for him.

* * *

Alloy was standing in front of a window, looking over the land. His men were currently doing their jobs and he was there, awaiting the results. Suddenly, the device in his pocket beeped as he turned to walk away back to his seat.

"Speak."

" **Everything's falling in place as you stated. The kids looked you up and Endeavor's planning his next move as we speak. Slizzle and Fist are preparing to execute their parts as well, awaiting a signal from you.** "

"Good. Right now, it's just a matter of time. Soon, very soon, Endeavor will crumble at my feet and beg me like the pathetic man he is."

Alloy walked further away from the window, a sinister smirk plastered on his face.


	7. Fangs of the Viper

_**Chapter 7**_

 _ **Fangs of the Viper**_

Todoroki poured water into the kettle to make tea for him and Yao-Momo, who sat behind him on the kitchen table. After eating breakfast, they both did the dishes together and got to talking about various topics, neither of them wanting to talk about Alloy. They knew that while the matter was important, there wasn't much to say about it. Besides, they needed a break from all the drama, so they were just hanging out, both content with simply talking.

"So, let me ask you something. Why don't you let Arthur help you with the housework and cooking?" Yao-Momo asked.

"It's part of my training." The son of Endeavor answered as he put the kettle on the stove.

"Really? How does it help you?"

"Well, I think that every one of these activities helps somehow. Take cooking for instance. It teaches you punctuality as you try to follow the recipe as closely as possible and in case something goes wrong, it teaches you how to think quickly to solve the problem. It doesn't help as much as battle or Quirk training, but it's still pretty helpful. Besides…" He looked at the kettle, still with no fire under it yet.

"… It gives me a chance to improvise sometimes." He said, smiling as he pointed his left index finger towards the kettle, a small stream of fire making its way out of it towards the container to boil the water.

" _Wow. His control over his fire has improved so dramatically, he can use his fingers now! I guess housework is pretty helpful after all._ " The creation heroine thought to herself as she watched the flames heating the kettle.

The kettle started singing and Todoroki poured the tea. Yao-Momo took her cup from him, thanked him with a nod and took a sip. She closed her eyes as the flavor broke down and blended in her mouth.

"This is really good! I guess housework improves more than just your battle sense, huh?" She said and he smiled in response.

Yao-Momo took in a breath when he smiled. It wasn't one of his regular smirks or a little tiny smile. It was a real, natural smile. She could feel her heart beat faster. Then he chuckled. Music to her ears, that was. Her grip around her tea cup tightening, the creation heroine couldn't help but think about the trouble she was in, having a crush on Icy Hot. She took a deep breath to clear her mind.

"Now I have a question for you." Todoroki's words snapped her out of her daze.

"Sure, what's up?" She nodded, taking yet another sip of her tea.

"What do you plan on doing after we graduate from U.A.?"

"Well, I've been thinking about my options. If I can keep my grades up, I believe I might be able to score a scholarship abroad. Why do you ask though? We're still two years away from all that." She said, as he nodded along.

"I've just been wondering about what _I_ would do. Besides, I'm curious." Todoroki replied, taking a sip from his tea.

Yao-Momo raised an eyebrow; it seemed as though there was more to his question than that. Knowing Todoroki, he probably had a good reason to hide whatever it is he had in mind from her. Still, she felt a little bad over the fact that he couldn't trust her. Maybe it was bigger than she thought? She sighed, accepting that only time would tell.

"So, how're those nightmares coming?" She asked him.

"They got worse. Bakugo's in them now."

"Bakugo? Really? I had no idea you two were so close." She raised an eyebrow.

"We're not. That's why it's weird. It's only worse because his line is 'You couldn't even help, you twin-sided bastard.'" The son of Endeavor said, chuckling as Yao-Momo laughed.

"Boy, do I feel sorry for you. Bakugo every night isn't something you'd want on your plate." Yao-Momo took her breath.

"I know. I'm even more worried because that's not what he usually calls me." They both shared a laugh.

"Alright, I gotta get to training. Thanks for the meal, those eggs were delicious." The son of Endeavor finished his tea, stood up and left, leaving Yao-Momo alone to her thoughts.

* * *

Todoroki, all geared up for his training session, stood at the middle of the backyard. He remembered his talk with Yao-Momo earlier that day, about Alloy's Quirk and power. He then remembered how Yao-Momo and Midoriya were attacked by what were most probably Alloy's men. The son of Endeavor clenched his right fist.

" _Alloy_ … _I know that I'll come across him. Sooner or later, I will. If he's as powerful as the information Yao-Momo found about him says, then I'm gonna need to step up my game, big time. Besides, he might send out others after us, so I have to be prepared. Too much is at stake…_ "

The son of Endeavor walked a bit to the right, turned his back to the house and took a deep breath.

"One. Two. Three. Go!" He moved in circles around the spot where he once stood, making a path of ice behind him with his right leg.

Todoroki watched carefully the start of the icy circle he had started as he continued his motion. Then, once he finished what seemed to be three quarters of the circle, he lifted his left hand and used his fire on the ice to melt it, preventing the circle from ever being completed.

The young hero-in-training could feel himself lose speed as he started feeling a little sluggish, the icy path behind him showing zigzags. Gritting his teeth, he tried his best to maintain his course and speed while keeping both his sides active at the same time. Soon, after a few laps of curved motions, the strain on Todoroki's muscles got the better of him and he landed on his knee, sweating and panting.

"Well, I'm definitely going to feel all that tomorrow… Oh well, it's not like this is my first rough training session. Just need a second…" True to his words, the son of Endeavor took a few moments to catch his breath before resuming the same exercise.

What he didn't realise, though, was that Arthur stood by the window, watching his young master train from inside the house. Time and again, his master would fall, but he'd just spend a moment of recuperation before standing up and resuming again. It was amazing how determined the young man was. The butler looked behind him, hearing Yao-Momo walk up to the window beside him.

"Good day, miss. Your stay is satisfactory so far, I hope?" Said Arthur with a slight bow.

"Yes, it sure has, thank you." She smiled in appreciation, before returning her attention towards the guy training in the backyard.

"He sure is working hard. Am I so bold to ask if he is like this in class?" The butler asked.

"Generally, yeah. Although, he seems to me as though he's pushing himself a bit more than usual. Have you noticed anything different with him?" She asked, watching as Todoroki placed his hands on his knees and panted.

"Yes, I actually have. I can't quite put my hands on it, but master Shoto has certainly changed. Maybe he's trying his best to improve because of all the things that have been going on lately?" Arthur reasoned.

"I don't know. Todoroki has never been one to worry so much. I mean, I know we're under a pretty big deal of a threat, but still." She said, causing Arthur to turn his eyes back towards their conversation piece.

"Well, then… I guess his drive is something we'll find out when the time is right." Arthur continued to watch.

Yao-Momo watched Todoroki collapse to his knees yet again, before she turned and walked away.

"His drive, huh?" She said to herself. Sighing, she accepted the fact that only time will tell.

* * *

Midoriya couldn't believe himself.

Despite the fact that he had foiled an attack attempt from a villain and that he was most probably still being hunted, he could never have imagined that it would all lead to him sitting with All Might _in his beach house_. Everything he touched was practically sacred to the bearer of One for All, even the couch he sat on.

All Might came into the room, holding two plates of cake. He placed one in front of Midoriya.

"Here. I thought you might need to eat something." The former Symbol of Peace said, sitting down opposite his successor.

"Thanks. Anyway, I called them, as you said. They should be here any minute now." Midoriya said.

"Good. Here's to hoping they make it here safely. You can't trust things out there anymore."

As if on cue, they both heard a knock on the door. Midoriya ran to get it and opened it to reveal just who they had been expecting.

"Hey, Deku!" Uraraka waved excitedly with a grin, as Midoriya let her and the others inside.

"We came as soon as we got your call. Glad to see you're not harmed, by the way." Iida said, adjusting his glasses.

"I still don't understand why you were attacked. It's usually Bakugo who gets caught up in that kind of event." Asui stated as Midoriya closed the door.

"Beats me. Anyway, come on you guys. All Might's waiting in the living room."

Midoriya lead the other three into the living room, were All Might sat with the TV on. The former Symbol of Peace greeted the newcomers and motioned for them to sit down.

"I want the four of you to listen to me very carefully. This matter is not to be taken lightly, so pay close attention." The pressure of All Might's grave tone bore on their shoulders as they listened intently.

"Not only was Young Midoriya here attacked, but you should also know that Young Yaoyorozu in Barcelona was too. A dangerous villain out there is letting his men loose and until we find out more about his aims, we are lead to believe that Class 1-A students are his target. Therefore, I need the four of you to notify all those you can. As for you lot… Well, that's kind of tricky, so if you wish to back down and go home, my driver will take you home just as he brought you."

"Tell us, please." Iida said, looking at the former symbol of peace with attention.

"Normally, in such a situation, I'd call for another pro hero to look after you. One that is not retired like myself. However, none of the other teachers at U.A. was available at this time, let alone on short notice, and most of the other pro heroes are out there taking care of the villains who escaped Tartarus and bringing them back to their cells. So this left me with only one option." All Might looked them all in the eye.

"Yes...?" Uraraka said, feeling a little bit worried.

"I'm gonna have you four prepare for and engage in battle, should the need arise." The students looked at their teacher wide-eyed.

Midoriya was surprised, but he thought the whole thing over. He was with All Might when he made some of the calls to the other heroes, and judging by what he read and heard from his teacher about Alloy, he certainly didn't think that the police would be sufficient. The bearer of One for All looked at the others around him. It may have been quite dangerous, but if he were to turn his back on them and they were to all agree, it'd be as though he was abandoning them when they needed him. Midoriya couldn't afford to do that, neither as a friend nor as a hero. Besides, one of the targets of that attack on the beach was All Might. It wouldn't feel right to leave him.

"I'm in. I can't afford to let these people harm anyone." Midoriya said, standing up.

"Midoriya, you do realise that these villains have committed crimes so horrible that death wasn't enough a punishment for them, right?" Iida said with wide eyes.

"Yeah, I do, and I know that the sludge villain I fought at the beach before is nothing compared to the others. Yet, I can't just leave. They'll try and get to us again anyway. Besides, if I know I can help protect at least one person, then I have to oblige. After all, it is a hero's greatest aspiration, right?" The bearer of One for All looked at his best friend in the eye, resolve unwavering.

Iida stood in silence for a moment, Midoriya's words playing over and over in his head. He knew his best friend was right. No matter where they went, they wouldn't be able to completely escape those villains. They didn't know what they wanted from them yet, but that's all the more reason to be careful about the whole matter. Sighing, the heir of Ingenium turned towards Uraraka and Asui.

"If Deku's in, then I'm with him every step of the way!" Uraraka stood up, and walked up to Midoriya.

"You can count on me too." Asui added with a nod.

Iida sighed. There seemed to be no bending his friends on that one.

"In that case, I'm fighting as well. As the class representative, I can't let you guys do this on your own."

"Iida… Thank you." Midoriya said with a smile.

All Might looked on as his students started preparing to make the calls. While he dreaded having to resort to making them fight, he didn't have a choice. Still, between those four, things were gonna be fine. He knew it.

"In that case, I guess it's time to bring you kids some cake." All Might said, as he disappeared back into the kitchen.

* * *

Three hooded figures sat in a car in the calm neighbourhood, right in front of a normal house. The one in the driver's seat looked at his watch through his jacket, then back outside. They had been waiting for a long time and Cleave was getting bored. He didn't even know what they were waiting for. Sighing, he turned to his companions.

"So, what are we waiting for again?" Cleave asked.

"For the sixth time, we are waiting till Sat tells us where Midoriya is exactly, so that we can be sure that he's not inside. Now, be quiet, or you'll get to be the boss's punching bag tonight." The woman in the passenger seat said with an annoyed tone.

"Ouch. With his newfound powers, I definitely apologise. Speaking of, he's got some crazy new strength, right?" Said Cleave.

"You bet, man. He's not showing it, but whatever it is that he took from that All for One creep back in Tartarus sure wasn't pretty. I almost pity the Todorokis." Said Fist from the back seat.

"I've seen his power." The lady said, both men turning to her in surprise.

"What?!" Said Cleave.

"No way! Illusia, what did you see?" Fist said, just as surprised.

"I'm not really supposed to tell, but you two oughta know it's terrifying. I'd stay on his good side if I were you." She said, turning her vision back towards the house.

"Wow. If it terrifies Illusia, then it must be crazy tough! Man, I wish we'd gotten a chance to talk with that eyeless freak." Cleave said to a nodding Fist.

At that moment, their communication device with Sat spoke.

" **Can you three hear me?** "

"Loud and clear. Find anything?" Illusia said, holding the device close to her mouth.

" **Yes. He's at a house somewhere near the beach on which Sludge attacked him and All Might. He's got others with him, including the former symbol. Grab the target, and tell me once you're at the hideout for broadcast.** " And with that, the line died.

The three turned to each other, simultaneously pulled their hoods on and got out of the car.

* * *

Endeavor was in his training room, focusing on the targets moving quickly around him. He took a deep breath and released fireballs from his palms, each hitting a target and leaving a small explosion in its wake.

The flame hero let out a breath. He couldn't help but think about what Stain had said to him. Did Alloy really want to get back at him through his son? One would think that Alloy would have changed after being imprisoned, but that did not seem to be the case.

Still, Endeavor could not trust Stain's word. The guy was a villain. A _murderer_. That was not someone that could be trusted; especially if he would actually enjoy the fact that Endeavor would be harmed in any way in the name of his so-called 'greater cause'. He could have a trap set up for him with Alloy and all he said could be a lie.

Shaking his head, the flame hero made his way back to his office. He was overthinking the whole thing, obviously. Anyway, he was expecting a call from Tsukauchi any minute now. Endeavor had him check with the airport to check if Alloy could have been on aboard any flights to Barcelona since the break out.

As if on cue, the secretary came in and handed Endeavor the phone. Tsukauchi's voice came from the other side of the line.

" **Hello, Endeavor. I checked with the airport as you asked and it turns out you were right. Alloy had a private plane waiting for him, ready to take him to Barcelona. He also had four companions; three men and a woman, all travelling under fake names. I couldn't get any descriptions, though. They must've prepared the whole thing pretty well if they passed airport security undetected.** " Endeavor nodded.

"Good. In that case, it seems I'm going to follow them, then. Thank you, officer." Endeavor said as hung up the phone.

* * *

Tsukauchi put his phone in his pocket, looking over various papers on his desk. It maddened him that he didn't know what went on between Endeavor and Stain. After he went out of the Hero Killer's cell, Endeavor looked… burdened. He would dodge any questions about it, but it was obvious that Endeavor was hiding something.

He lifted his head when someone came into his office.

"Sir, if you would please come to the surveillance room? There's something you gotta see." Tsukauchi nodded and followed the man into a room full of computers and screens.

The officer followed the man to a computer in one of the cornera of the dark room. They gave him a set of headphones and he put them on, listening in to what they had for him.

" **…Grab the target, and tell me once you're at the hideout for broadcast.** " Tsukauchi listened, and then looked at the other two beside him.

"What exactly am I hearing here?"

"We've detected some unusual wave propagations earlier. They seemed to be coming from a satellite, so we followed it and managed to listen in. Unfortunately, what you just heard was all we could detect. However, judging by the properties of the wave and the message, we are lead to believe that whoever's talking is collaborating with the villains." Explained the man.

"I see. What's wrong with the wave, then?" Tsukauchi asked.

"You see, sir, after being reflected and propagating for a while, a progressive wave tends to lose energy as it travels. In the case of this one, it seemed to be unusually strong. During our brief connection with the satellite, we found out that the wave wasn't actually reflected. It was as if the transmission came from within the satellite itself."

Tsukauchi rubbed his chin as he took off the headphones. That was awfully strange. How could a satellite transmit something on its own? There were only two explanations for it. Either it was part of the satellite's program, or someone was within the satellite, sending the message from inside. Tsukauchi was no expert on these stuff, so he wasn't sure. Although, he did have a hunch…

"Keep after it. If they're broadcasting soon, then I need you to be on the lookout for when they do. Collect as much information about them as you can; who they're calling, where are both parties, but most importantly, I want to know how that thing works, with its weird waves and transmissions." Tsukauchi said to both of his companions.

"Yes, sir!" They both saluted.

* * *

"..Alright, thanks Ojiro. Take care." Midoriya hung up the phone and went on to the next caller.

He and his friends had been going on for a while now, making sure to call everyone they knew from school, notifying them about how they were all possible targets. They already had most of the class down and the sun hadn't even set yet.

Spending most of the daytime training with All Might, they thought they wouldn't be able to make the phone calls as quickly as they needed. However, once they caught their breaths and started calling a few people, they got up to pace. The former symbol of peace was particularly happy with their progress on the task. They looked as determined as ever to come through and not let the danger break them.

As a teacher, All Might couldn't be more proud.

"Asui, how much did you get so far?" Iida asked; a list of all their classmates in his hand.

"Three. I got Ashido, Jiro, and Sero."

"That's good. Uraraka?" He said as he crossed out the names mention by his frog friend.

"I got eight!" She said with a grin, as the others stared at her in amazement.

"Amazing, Uraraka! I got three myself too; Mineta, Kaminari, and Ojiro." Said Midoriya.

"Well then, I've been keeping track of those Uraraka's been calling and I can tell you that that leaves only one person left…" Iida said, as they all looked at the last name.

"K-Kacchan?! Well, I'm not calling him!" Midoriya said, fear evident on his face.

All Might chuckled and turned towards the living room, leaving the four students to bicker over who gets to call Young Bakugo. Taking a seat, he turned on the TV and watched the news. They'd already caught thirty of the villains. Maybe things would be over sooner than they all expected?

However, All Might would soon find out that he had counted his chickens before they got to hatch.

The news broadcast was interrupted and in its stead came the view of a woman tied to a chair, a clawed man clad in black behind him. The former Symbol of Peace's eyes widened as he recognised the woman.

"Young Midoriya! Get over here quickly!" All Might called out. The students all filed into the living room running.

"What's go-" Midoriya stood in silence at what he saw.

A man's claw-like hands were pressed up to his mother's neck, a small trail of blood going down into her blouse. She was tied to a chair, her mouth covered with a cloth. He saw the look of fear and panic in her reddened eyes and he couldn't help but feel a mixture of anger and slight fear. The bearer of One for All clenched his fists.

"Mom…"

" **Midoriya Izuku. As you can see, we have your mother in our clutches. If you wish to save her, come to the old tyre factory by the beach, tonight… No police, No pro heroes.** " Then the TV screen showed static.

Midoriya sat on the couch, his mind racing with thoughts. One, however, seemed to repeat itself more than any other.

" _What just happened…?_ "

* * *

That night, in Barcelona, Todoroki and Yao-Momo decided to kick back in the living room and watch a movie. After fighting for a good while over what movie to watch, Yao-Momo scored the victory and they ended up watching _Atlantis_ , a Disney classic that's her favourite. She was surprised to see he owned it, deciding she should take that chance to watch it.

They sat on the couch together, eating popcorn and drinking soft drinks as the movie played on. They watched as the main characters looked over the sunken city of Atlantis from atop a statue, the beautiful, natural view filling the screen. As the two heroes-in-training watched the movie, Yao-Momo broke the silence.

"Have you seen the second instalment?" She asked.

"Bits and pieces. It's pretty good, but I actually prefer this one." Todoroki replied, eating from the big bowl of popcorn.

"Yeah, me too. I've never seen the second movie. You kinda wonder what became of Milo and Kida, though, right?" She said, turning back to the screen.

"I know what became of them." He said, unable to suppress a smirk when her head slowly turned towards him.

"What became of them? No, wait, I don't wanna know. Maybe just a heads-up then?" She said as Todoroki chuckled.

"Alright, alright, I know how this will end. I'll let you find out on your own. I'll tell you it's actually fitting to them, though." He said.

"I see. It's just so magical, y'know? Two people, with that kind of bond… Todoroki, have you ever had that before?" She said, turning to him. Todoroki was silent for a few moments before answering.

"No. I haven't. At least, not yet. Have you?" He said, taking a sip from his Mountain Dew.

"No. No, I haven't." She said, turning back to the movie to hide her blush from him.

"What do you think of it, though?" He asked her, causing her to blush more.

"When it's true, it's the most amazing thing ever. I know I've never tried it, but I just know it's the best. Kinda hard to find, though." She said, making sure to plaster her eyes to the screen.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." He said to himself, turning towards the screen himself.

* * *

The credits rolled as the movie drew to a close and Todoroki turned off the TV. He looked down at Yao-Momo, who fell asleep beside him on the couch, unconsciously resting her feet on his lap. He smiled at the view of her sleeping so peacefully, making sure to remember the view. He lifted her legs slowly from above his lap, stood up and set them down. Then, he covered her up with the weave on the back of the couch before leaving for the garden.

Outside, Todoroki sat down at a bench lit by a small lamp above it. He looked up at the stars and let his mind drift to Alloy… Not a pleasant first stop for his train of thoughts, but he still couldn't be too careful about that matter.

The son of Endeavor had lots of questions. Maybe Alloy wanted to harm him as revenge against his father, but why would he want anything to do with his friends? And how did he know they were in Barcelona? Maybe someone told him, but the only people who knew were Todoroki's family, and a few of his friends. Namely, Midoriya and Yao-Momo, who only happened to know because of circumstance.

Todoroki turned his head to his right, where the backyard was. He could have sworn he saw a shadow move over there… He stood up and went to check it out.

The backyard was dark, save for the light on the porch. Todoroki's shadow stretched in front of him into the darkness, revealing none of his surroundings. He glared at the shadows, tensed his muscles. He took a deep breath, and looked around him carefully…

The son of Endeavor turned to face the left side and made a wall of ice to block a punch directed at him by his unknown attacker. He jumped a few feet back to make some distance, as the attacker destroyed the ice, revealing his hooded figure.

"So, I'm guessing you're one of Alloy's lackeys. What do you want here?" Todoroki said, glaring daggers at the man.

"Nothing. Jussst you… and the girl." The man said, sticking his tongue out for a second before pulling it back in.

"Reveal yourself, now."

"Why should I when you're about to get broken ssso bad, you won't remember it anyway?" The man said.

" _He sure is a pro when it comes to using S's, huh?_ " thought Todoroki, as he got his guard up.

"You ssseem ready to fight. Are you not afraid of the law punishing you if you hurt me?" The man said.

"No. The law states I can protect my house against any intruder. Now, if you're done playing 'Courtroom', I need to sleep early."

"Then allow me… _**TO FINISH THIS!**_ " The man yelled as he lunged at Todoroki.

The son of Endeavor tried using his ice to intercept the man, but he dodged whatever came across him. Soon, he reached the young hero-in-training and threw a left hook, only for its target to duck. Todoroki planted his left hand on the hooded man's abdomen, and released a huge stream of fire, engulfing him. However, he gritted his teeth as he turned to the stony fence behind him, the man standing atop of it.

"Well, you're every bit as sssmart as I had heard, Todoroki Shoto. Too bad that alone will not help you now." The man said, apparently hissing.

"If you think that's all I've got, you're in for a rude awakening. I'm more than just brains and muscles." Todoroki said, maintaining his glare.

The man lunged at him again; another left hook at the ready. However, Todoroki side stepped again and let the flames run free on his left side. He then turned as he saw the flames burn away the man's cloak and gradually reveal his true figure.

The son of Endeavor's eyes went wide. In front of him was a man with scales for skin and a tail coming out of his dark, baggy pants. He didn't wear any footwear, letting his dinosaur-like talons feel the ground below them. He trained his bright yellow eyes on Todoroki and his jaws broke into a twisted smile of fangs and canines.

"So, whattya think? Handsome, right?"

"Not even if I was blind. Although, now I'm guessing watching Spider-man fight Doctor Conners all those times is finally gonna pay off." Todoroki said.

"My name is Slizzle and I am your fate, Todoroki Shoto. Now, prepare for your what's to come if you can." Slizzle said, poison dripping from his mouth.

Slizzle jumped back on the far end of the fence, then pushed off of it to reach the house, and kicking off from there to one of the fence's corners. Todoroki followed him as he jumped around, but he was getting dizzier. He needed to find to break his pattern somehow… Thinking it over, Todoroki decided on the best course of action and kept his eyes locked on Slizzle.

Slizzle suddenly landed in front of Todoroki and went in for a poisonous bite. After all that jumping, even the son of Endeavor would be dizzy, wouldn't he? Yet, Todoroki had other plans as he made another wall of ice to block Slizzle's path, forcing him backward.

" _His movements are pretty much just like Stain's. They both need to get in close to use their powers to their full extent. I can't afford to let him get too close… but maybe I can use his strength against him._ " Todoroki thought, as he let a stream of fire run towards the intruder.

Slizzle easily dodged the fire with his wild instincts and maneuvered his way around the new icy obstacles with equivalent ease. He closed in on Todoroki, ready to attempt a bite once again.

Todoroki smirked, making a block of ice exactly below Slizzle to hit him in the gut. Then, with his opponent's momentum stopped, the son of Endeavor unleashed as much power into his flames, as they collided with Slizzle.

But Todoroki could not see the snake's sick smile through the fire.

Slizzle's hand came out of the flames, grabbed Todoroki's throat and slammed him into the fence. The son of Endeavor's eyes widened, seeing Slizzle moving despite being on fire.

"Wha..?" Todoroki said with difficulty.

"I'm a snake. I have to change my skin every once in a while. Thanks to you, I was just saved a very hard process of peeling my own skin off." Slizzle said, as some of his skin started to fall off.

"You never see this on the discovery channel… Argh!" Todoroki said as he took a punch to his gut.

The snake wrapped his tail around Todoroki, keeping him from using his Quirk, as he started giving him jabbing his face repetitively. The son of Endeavor felt the pain of the tail squeezing around him and the continuous punches to his face slowly take him into unconsciousness, numbness starting to eat at him.

Slizzle smiled, seeing tiredness slowly eat at Todoroki. He pulled back his right arm for one final punch…

…but the snake was pushed back by an explosion to his face, forcing him to let go of Todoroki. Clutching his eye, Slizzle could feel his own blood on his hand. He looked to where the blast had come from, his breaths heavy and his teeth grit.

"Yaoyorozu Momo. Great timing. I was actually looking for you." Slizzle's maniacal smile glowed in the dark as he looked at Yao-Momo, standing beside the cannon she used during the obstacle course of the sports festival.

"Step away from him." Yao-Momo said, glaring at Slizzle, who stood in place for a while before answering.

"...Alright. You got it." The snake walked away from Todoroki, who was watching from the ground and made his way towards her.

Slizzle suddenly disappeared. Grabbing Yao-Momo from behind, he went in for a bite, only for Yao-Momo to make a sharp spear from her elbow, injuring his right shoulder. She then turned around and made a katana, which she used to slash his torso as he recovered from his shoulder being injured.

Todoroki was on the ground, watching as Yao-Momo fought Slizzle with extreme expertise and absolute grace.

" _When did she…? Wow, regardless, she got good! His face is injured, which means he can't see with his right-eye anymore. He also peel his skin off again, so that's one defensive measure down as well. Moreover, his instincts are getting the better of him. Yao-Momo must have noticed this, and is using it to her advantage._ " He noted as she slashed at him again.

Angry, Slizzle ducked below her attack and drove her into the ground with his good hand, planting his knees on her arms to keep her from using her weapon. He used his tail to throw the katana away, then picked her up, both her hands resting in his left, and her legs tied by his tail. The snake couldn't help but laugh.

"Take a good look, Todoroki! Your friend pissed me off. Now, she gets punished." A bloodlust-blinded Slizzle opened his mouth and went in to bite Yao-Momo.

The next few moments passed by slowly for the son of Endeavor. As he looked at Yao-Momo's exhausted face, he saw her in his dream; pained and in disbelief. He remembered her face during their practical exam against Mr. Aizawa; how she smiled as she asked him if her plan was alright with him. He remembered her face when he told her she could stay with him until her parents returned; how happy she was. And he remembered her voice, calling his name…

He clenched his fists. He was not about to let those dreams become a reality. He was not going to let them harm her. He was not going to lie down there and watch his best friend have that happen to her, not so long as he could still draw breath.

Slizzle was only a few inches from Yao-Momo's neck when Todoroki's fire hit him in his injured eye. Roaring in pain, the snake withdrew and clutched his injured eye, but he could see Todoroki pointing his left index finger at him.

"You…YOU!..." Slizzle's rage blinded him as he turned towards the son of Endeavor.

His attempt to attack Todoroki failed, as he released a wave of ice towards the snake, freezing him in place completely. The only parts not frozen were Slizzle's mouth and good eye. Todoroki was standing groggily, but he righted himself as he glared at Slizzle.

"You spill no hero blood today…" Todoroki said venomously, making Slizzle's eye widen in fear.

Yao-Momo made her way to Todoroki and held him up before he hit the ground. He seemed far more exhausted than she was, yet he still won the fight. Not only that, but…

She smiled. Todoroki saved her once again.


	8. Mothers, Fathers, and Old Adversaries

_**Chapter 8**_

 _ **Mothers, Fathers and Old Adversaries**_

Endeavor sat in his home office, awaiting his ride to the airport. Upon learning of Alloy's whereabouts, he couldn't help but feel surprised. Stain seemed to have been right after all. While his son had not been attacked, at least not as far as he knows, it was proved that Alloy was also in Barcelona. Yet, something puzzled the flame hero.

Why attack Shoto's friends rather than cut to the chase and go for Shoto himself? It was understandable why they would attack the one in Barcelona, but why the one here? And why All Might too? Something didn't quite add up. Endeavor furrowed his eyebrows. Alloy may have been sadistic, but it wasn't like him to get so carried away. So what was new? The flame hero was frustrated; he didn't have an answer. He hated that.

He was hoping that things would get at least a little bit clearer once he arrived in Barcelona. Despite having little to no idea how it would help exactly, he still knew that there was bound to be evidence over there that may somehow prove useful. Whatever that was, though, he needed to find it as soon as possible and bring the entire Alloy matter to an end. His old friend's villainous days were long overdue as it was.

He looked up as his secretary knocked on the door, entered and walked up to him. She gave him the phone in her hand, telling him it was a call from Tsukauchi.

"Endeavor speaking." He said with impatience.

" **Hey, Endeavor. This is Tsukauchi. I got some news.** " The officer's voice came from the other side.

"What is it?"

" **The villains are seemingly using a satellite for contact. Get this, though. It's not like a regular phone call or broadcast. The satellite itself is capable of independent transmission. They broadcast something this afternoon and we managed to find out a few things, such as the fact that they frequently talk to someone in Barcelona. We don't have any specifics so as to who or where yet; the broadcasts are too short, but we're working on it.** "

"A satellite, huh?" Endeavor rubbed his chin. Was it possible…?

"Officer, I'm on my way to Barcelona. If Alloy is there, then I am going to go get him. In the meantime, I want you to conduct a research on someone who goes by the code name Sat." Said the flame hero.

" **Okay… but what does he have to do with all this?** " Tsukauchi asked, confused.

"He's a guy with a satellite Quirk, used to be friends with Alloy and I in the past. Get your tech people to study his satellite traits and if they can tell whether it's the same traits as those of the satellite used by the villains or not, then at least it'd be one more thing crossed off of our list."

" **I guess you've got a point. I'm on it, then.** "

Tsukauchi hung up and at that moment, Endeavor's secretary came in to take the phone.

"Your limo has arrived, sir. Your entire luggage has been packed in the trunk and I made sure that your private plane is to be ready for takeoff by the time you arrive at the airport." Said the secretary as she took the phone.

"Alright then, I'll be going. Keep me up to date in case anything happens. Also, make sure to send my number in Barcelona to officer Tsukauchi."

"Yes, sir."

Endeavor stood up and walked outside, never looking back at the house as he made his way towards the limo.

* * *

Tsukauchi relayed the orders to the tech team to find out if the satellite and that Sat person were actually one and the same. If it turns out they were, then perhaps that might shed some light on how to interrupt the communications and maybe even find the exact location of the villains in both Japan and Spain. Still, there was another matter that he didn't want to discuss with Endeavor.

Tsukauchi returned to his office and sat behind his desk deeply in thought. According to the villains' broadcast, they were holding Midoriya Izuku's mum captive and were apparently using her as bait for him to go to them. He had to know where they were exactly, and fast. Otherwise, knowing All Might's disciple, he'd go and save her on his own if he had to. He may have managed to acquire a provisional license, but that didn't change the fact that he was still a kid. One thing was certified, though. Based on all the recent events, those particular kidnappers must be working for Alloy.

Although why would the villains go after the kid, let alone his mother? A piece of the puzzle was missing. First an attack on a girl in Barcelona, then All Might and Midoriya are also attacked the following morning. Then, an innocent woman had been kidnapped. What was the connection?

First things first, though, Tsukauchi needed to know who they were dealing with. The officer opened up the recent file about the attack on the girl in Barcelona and went through its contents, stopping to circle a certain piece of information in it. He then called for one of the men outside and asked him for the disk of the villains' broadcast. Once he got it, he placed it in his laptop, pausing it halfway through to look at the clawed man.

"I knew it…" The officer said to himself, comparing the descriptions of the attacker with the image of the man on the screen. It was a perfect match.

Tsukauchi picked up his phone and dialled in some numbers. A few moments later, a voice came as the recipient of the call picked up.

" **Hello?** "

"Hello, All Might. Listen, I wanna ask you about the kidnapping of Midoriya Izuku's mother."

" **Huh? How do you know about that?!** " The former symbol of peace said in surprise.

"I'll tell you in a bit. Anyway, the man with the claws you saw in the broadcast is one of the criminals who escaped Tartarus and it seems that he and those with him are working with Alloy. Hence, we have to arrest them as soon as possible, before they have a chance to go back into hiding, with an innocent lady nonetheless. Any idea where they're waiting for the kid, exactly?"

" **At the old tyre factory. Y'know, the one near my beach house. You didn't get that?** "

"There are tons of old tyre factories in that area, you'd actually be surprised. Anyway, I'll contact some heroes and come with a squad to save her and arrest them."

" **I doubt you should do that. If you've seen the broadcast, then you must've also heard the warning they gave him. 'No pros, no police'. If they're prisoners of Tartarus, then they won't hesitate to kill her in an instant if they had to.** "

"So, what, we just let the kid fight? I can't do that." Tsukauchi rubbed his forehead.

" **That's not what I'm saying. First of all, he has some of his friends who also got their licenses, so they can help. Second of all, maybe you and the others could stay hidden until she has been saved, then make your appearance and go in for the arrest. Knowing Young Midoriya, he's definitely smart enough to pull that one off.** "

Tsukauchi pondered the option for a moment. It was a pretty viable plan, and it was the best one he had yet. He sighed.

"Alright. I'll do it your way this time. Get them ready on your end. See you later." Said Tsukauchi as he hung up.

* * *

Midoriya stood in front of the big doors of the factory, his friends by his side. The soft breeze of the night brushing against his face, the heir of One for All took a deep breath and turned to the others.

"I'm sorry to drag you into this, you guys. You didn't have to come out here…" He said looking down a bit.

"What are you saying? Of course we had to! We couldn't just let you handle this on your own, could we?" Iida said enthusiastically.

"Iida's right. We agreed to help you fend off any villains, so that's exactly what we'll do." Added Uraraka.

"Ribbit." Asui nodded in support.

"Thank you. I honestly feel a lot better with you guys here. Now, let's save my mum and send some criminals to jail!" Said Midoriya, earning a nod from all of them.

Some distance behind them, Tsukauchi and his men waited in the shadows, the officer watching the kids intently.

" _Alright, kid. Show me what makes the symbol of peace amazed by you so much._ "The officer thought to himself.

Said kid looked up, seeing a round window above the big double doors. He then turned to Asui.

"Tsuyu, think you could get up there and survey the room for us?" He asked her.

"Leave it to me." She said, sticking to the wall and climbing up.

Asui carefully looked at the insides of the factory. Things weren't as… dark as she had expected. She could make out four individuals, one tied to a chair. Midoriya's mum. As for the other three, one was a white-haired lady standing alone in a corner with her arms crossed over her chest, another was a very bulky man pacing around the room, while the last, clawed man stood watch of the visibly scared woman. Asui reached into her ear and pressed a button on her communicator.

" **I can see them. There are three of them, two men and a woman. One of the men is very bulky, and the clawed guy from the broadcast is the one watching Midoriya's mum. Nothing special is obvious about the woman, but I'm guessing that'll change once we get inside. Anyway, they all seem to be… laid back, more so than one would expect.** " Said the frog girl.

"Really now?" Midoriya said, rubbing his chin as he fell into his thoughts.

" _This equipment that All Might gave us sure is helpful. We're lucky he didn't give up all his stuff from his hero days. Too bad we didn't have time to grab our costumes, though._ " Iida thought, running his hand over the communicator in his ear.

The heir of Ingenium looked at his best friend beside him, deep in thought. He seemed to be cooking up their plan of attack. If anyone could, Iida had no doubt that it would be Midoriya.

As for Midoriya, well, he had a bad feeling in his gut that he couldn't get rid of. Something wasn't right. The villains were expecting them, but according to Asui's description of the state inside, they didn't seem as though they were ready to fight, or even as though they had a trap set up. Then again, it wouldn't be a good trap if it was obvious, especially if it's one sprung by Tartarus prisoners. No, there was a catch. But what was it?

"What do you think, Deku? This whole thing feels fishy to me." Said Uraraka.

"I agree. They don't seem as though they were expecting us to come now." Said the bearer of One for All.

"Then that's more proof that they're ready for us. I say we play it safe and set a back-up." Suggested Iida.

" _We're most likely going to have to fight them. No, we definitely will. Since there are three of them and four of us, then we have them outnumbered. But… what about mum? Our main priority right now is saving her, rather than beating them. If that's the case, then we should be using our numbers differently._ "

"Tsuyu, I need you to stay hidden for as long as you can. We'll get in there and distract them, while you grab my mum and run. Once you're out, tell us over the comms." Midoriya said.

" **Wait, you're suggesting that you guys walk straight into their trap? That's insane!** " Tsuyu said in concern.

"Actually, Tsuyu, I know it sounds crazy, but I have to agree with Midoriya on this one." Admitted Iida.

" **Ribbit?** "

"I'm the brother of Ingenium. Heck, I _am_ Ingenium! And that's the name of a hero who saves people regardless of the situation. If my brother could boldly walk up towards the Hero Killer to attempt and save someone, knowing that it could have very well cost him his life… then I should be inheriting that boldness along with his name." Said Iida, eyes fixed on the door as he stepped forward and placed his hand on it.

" **...Alright, just be careful in there.** "

"You got it!" Said Midoriya.

"Okay, you guys. I'll be taking the claw guy. With my Gunhead martial arts, I think I can take him." Said Uraraka.

"Sounds logical. I'll take the big guy. He can't be too different from Muscular." Added Midoriya.

"Then that leaves me with the woman. Alright then, on three." Said Iida, readying his engines to rev into life the moment he opens the door.

They counted to one… then two…

As agreed, they all burst inside on three. Iida, quickly surveying the room with his eyes to find his opponent, revved his engines up and sped in her direction. Likewise, Midoriya and Uraraka wasted no time attacking their own respective adversaries.

Inko, mother of Midoriya Izuku, couldn't see anything under her blindfold. Be that as it may, she could still hear everything that happened around her. Where before things were once quiet, she suddenly heard the door burst open and three yells coming from its direction. She then heard the sounds of collisions, as what was probably a fight went down around her. She heard a grunt before the sound of bones colliding; one that she would recognise anywhere.

" _Crazy, reckless, irresponsible Izuku! He could die… because of me…_ " the older lady almost broke into sobs of guilt, but she was broken out of her moment when she heard a voice.

"Ma'am." Someone called out to her from behind. She couldn't recognise the voice, so she started to panic.

"W-w-w-who are you?"

"Calm down. I'm a friend of your son's and I'm here to save you. Now, please keep your voice down. I'm in Camouflage right now." Said the owner of the voice.

Asui, hidden by her Camouflage ability, started releasing Inko's hands and feet from the ropes that held them captive, and then proceeded to take the blindfold off. Inko, grateful for the arrival of her mystery saviour, sat silently still throughout the process so as not to attract much attention to them.

Once she was completely free, the older lady looked around her. Her son was fighting the big guy, and much to her surprise and pride, he was holding his own pretty well against him. She watched as he ducked to avoid a punch, then followed up by sweeping his opponent's feet from below him before backing away, green electricity dancing around him all the while. She then looked to her right to see a brown haired girl narrowly but skillfully dodging the clawed man's attacks. To her left, she turned to see a tall boy with glasses attacking the white-haired woman with a series of kicks, but even though he was clearly gaining on her, she still managed to dodge his flurry of kicks.

She was snapped out of her daze when she felt something sticky and moist wrap around her body. Next thing she knew, she was flying across the factory, then passing through the window above the entrance. Once she touched the ground outside, she let out a breath she didn't know she held as whatever it was that was wrapped around her retracted.

"Wow, I really don't know how to tha- Oh." Inko was surprised when she saw her savior; a girl with a frog-like face.

"Don't mention it. Now, the police are waiting for you behind those trees. Get to them as fast as you can. Please hurry." Asui said as she jumped back in through the window.

Inko looked at the window from which Asui re-entered the factory, then turned away and ran towards the trees.

" _Hang in there, Izuku. I'll send back-up your way._ "

* * *

In the meantime, the trio was actually each facing a stalemate of their own. Iida decided that using his regular Engine Boost would be optimum for the situation. Otherwise, his engines may overheat quickly and he won't be able to buy enough time for his friend to save the lady.

Knowing this, Iida accepted that he won't be fighting at his maximum speed. Even so, he didn't expect his opponent to be able to outrun his Engine Boost so easily. Her reflexes were as remarkable as her speed and she didn't even look as though she was using her Quirk yet. The heir of Ingenium was rather thankful his mission was just to buy time, or else things may have very well gotten pretty ugly for him.

He attempted a roundhouse kick, but she stepped back, a smile plastered on her face. Iida noticed that and took a few steps back himself.

"What do you want from Midoriya?!" He asked in a sharp tone.

"You'll know soon, kid. Very soon." She said, as she dodged another of Iida's attempts to kick her.

Uraraka was facing the least trouble out of the three, as her opponent seemed to do exactly what she'd been trained to go up against by Gunhead. She was suspicious at first, thinking that he might've been playing her, but decided that that wasn't the time to worry. She needed an opening to apprehend or immobilise him, at least until the pros and the police get there.

She dodged a slash aimed to gash her face with a sidestep, and then another one aimed to scar her torso by stepping backwards. The man wasn't giving her any breathing room and he was sure to cover any openings. She pivoted on her left heel as he went in for a stab.

Seeing her chance, Uraraka went in to grab him so that she could pin him down, but he quickly swung his right hand towards her. She ducked, and finally landed a punch to his gut.

"Well, that almost tickled. Almost." Despite the mask he was wearing, Uraraka could tell he had a sadistic smile plastered all over his face as she jumped back to gain some distance.

Finally, in regards to Midoriya, he seemed in control for the most part as well, but no matter what he did, all his kicks and punches were either blunted off or deflected, leaving him to narrowly dodge the counters. Regardless, though, he needed to at least keep things the way they were. The longer he and his friends kept the villains occupied, the more time Asui had to save his mum.

Midoriya sidestepped a jab, and then hit the man in the knee with a kick, hoping that at least that would affect him. Much to his satisfaction, Midoriya watched the man fall to his knees as he attempted to gain some distance. However, the man was quick to recover and grab Midoriya mid-leap. He glared into the young bearer of One for All's eyes, his voice a vicious whisper.

"You're done hopping around, kiddo." He raised his arm, fist clenched and ready to smack Midoriya's face.

However, he was surprised when his arm wouldn't move, pressure around his forearm. He looked at it, but found nothing. Midoriya seized the chance to break free and quickly kick the crouched man twice in his face before jumping back.

The man glared as the bearer of One for All stood in front of him, green bolts of electricity dancing around him. It didn't help that soon after, the frog appeared beside him as if from nowhere, clearly having just gotten out of her Camouflage state.

"Are you okay, Midoriya?"

"I'm fine. What about my mum?"

"She's safe and sound, on her way to the police right now. I came back here to help you guys." She said.

"Thanks, Tsuyu." He said, smiling.

"Ribbit." She replied with a smile.

Laughter filled the room as everyone looked at the white-haired woman, a look of absolute joy spread across her face. When her laughter died down, she looked at those around her.

"Yes… Now, the plan has fallen in place." She said, and then flicked her fingers.

Midoriya looked at her only for a few moments. Then all went black as he felt his head hit the ground.

* * *

The next morning, Todoroki opened his eyes, groaning. His body felt the sorest since he was born, probably. He sat up in his bed and looked around him for a bit, his eyes still adapting to the sunlight.

His head jerked towards the door as it opened. Yao-Momo came in with a tray holding a plate of omelettes, a small bowl of salad, and a cup of orange juice. Her eyes widened when she saw him awake.

"Todoroki! You should be resting!" She rushed to his side.

"What happened last night?" He asked her in a level tone.

"Well, we were attacked by-"

"-A giant snake man. Last I remember was freezing him. What happened after that?"

"You passed out. We called the police and they came and took him. I talked them into keeping him in Barcelona for a while in case you wanted to question him. Arthur and I called in a doctor to check you up for any injuries, but there thankfully wasn't any major damage. You just got a small wound on your forehead that I bandaged, but other than that, you're A-okay. He said that you actually passed out due to fatigue." The creation heroine explained.

"That sounds about right. Training was a bit rough yesterday." He said, as he looked at the food.

"I thought that since you needed to rest that you should be eating in bed today, so I made you breakfast." She said, presenting him the food.

"Did you and Arthur eat?" He asked.

"Yeah, don't worry." She replied.

"You weren't hurt after last night's fight, were you?" He turned towards her, concern in his eyes.

"I'm fine. Look, don't worry about anything, okay? We won last night in every sense of the word. No one was hurt, the house is safe, and the… snake thing is behind bars."

"I agree with Ms. Yaoyorozu. A job well-done indeed, sir." Arthur said, standing at the door.

"Thank you, Arthur. Although, I gotta ask, where were you last night?" Asked Todoroki.

"Please forgive my incompetence, but I admit I was far too afraid to help. I was only able to admire your bravery from afar." Said Arthur, regret and shame written all over his face.

"Hey, it's okay. I know that if things had gotten ugly, you would've stepped in." The son of Endeavor said.

"You're being generous with me, sir."

"Yet, I mean it."

Arthur barely suppressed his smile, as he bowed and left to tend to other matters of the house. As Todoroki watched him go, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself a bit. Arthur took his masters' words to heart, so it was important to praise him whenever possible, or else he would lose his will and drive to work. Shaking his head, the son of Endeavor started digging in to satisfy his hunger.

"Hey, do you mind if I talk to you about something while you eat?" Yao-Momo asked, and Todoroki nodded.

"Thanks for saving me last night. I would've been dead by now if it weren't for you. I really don't know how I could repay that." She said.

"That's kind of my line, y'know. You saved me first." He replied.

Yao-Momo looked at him. He saved her and Arthur the night before, yet he was worrying about whether they ate, whether they were safe. He didn't even take full credit for saving them. She blushed, and looked down to hide it.

"I guess we're even then." She said.

"Yeah, I guess."

They both remained silent for a few moments, Todoroki eating his food as she stood before him. Yao-Momo sighed, and then turned to leave before Todoroki called for her.

"Hey, wait. I got something to ask you too."

"Sure, what's up?" She said.

"You know where the police are keeping him, right?" He asked.

"Yeah, I do." She replied.

"Well… Will you go down there with me tonight? I'm sure you have questions of your own too."

"Tonight?! But you have to-"

"Yao-Momo, I'm fine. Besides, it's just sitting in a chair, how tiring could it get?" He reasoned.

"Alright, but as long as I'm coming with you; I can't have you tiring yourself too much." She said, prompting him to nod.

At that moment, Todoroki's phone rang. He looked at the screen, furrowed his brows at the caller's ID, and answered.

"Hello?"

" **Hello, Shoto.** " Endeavor's voice came through.

"What's up?" The son said impatiently.

" **Look, I'm on my way to Barcelona as we speak. Now, I don't have much time, so I can't explain, but take your friend and leave for Japan immediately.** "

"Oh yeah? Why should I?"

" **Just listen to me, okay?! Alloy's probably in Barcelona and if he can get to your friend, then he can get to you as well! This isn't some training exercise at U.A., this is the real deal here! You could die!** "

"If he can know I'm here, then he can know if I'm there too. Running away isn't really an effective solution here. I say we need to fight that guy."

" **You don't understand, Shoto. Now I have to go, but you should just do as I say. Understood?!** " He yelled as he hung up.

Todoroki turned to his friend with a sigh.

"My old man wants us out of here. I'm not really on board with it. What do you think?" He asked her.

"Well, it'd definitely buy us time if we left to prepare in case we fight him. Also, we'd get to rally allies. Of course, that is assuming we're not attacked on the way to the airport." She said.

"I guess. Although, how much more preparing can we do? And what kind of allies? Since we can't put our classmates in such danger, the reasonable solution would be to notify the pro heroes. Alloy doesn't seem interested in those, so he'll come after us anyway."

"That's a fair point, actually. Alright then, I say we stay. We gotta be careful, though. The streets aren't exactly safe for us right now." She said shrugging.

"Agreed." He said with a nod.

The son of Endeavor ate the last of his food, and got up to get ready for his day.

* * *

Alloy stood in front of a window, viewing the city of Barcelona. Hands behind his back, the ex-hero of the impossible studied the city, as though he was uncovering its secrets with his eyes alone. He knew his target was there, waiting for him…

Hearing voices behind him, he turned around to see Cleave, Illusia and Fist going inside with four individuals, bags over their heads. His men set them down on chairs and tied them up. Then they removed the bags, revealing their unconscious faces.

"Wow, Illusia, you really did a number on them." Said Cleave.

"You saw how they fought back there. I couldn't afford to hold back." She stated calmly.

"Anyway, we got them for you, boss. What's next on the agenda?" Asked Fist.

Alloy looked back at the city, not answering Fist's question. He needed to know a few things before answering his underling. And as though on cue, his Sat device beeped.

"Talk to me, Sat."

" **Slizzle has been defeated and imprisoned. He will soon be moved to Japan for his return to Tartarus. On the bright side, though, Endeavor should be in Barcelona around tonight and the kid wants to see Slizzle before they move him. He and the girl plan on going tonight.** " Said Sat.

"I see. Well, there you have it Fist. Our next stop… I have a rendezvous with Todoroki Shoto tonight."


	9. Thunderclouds

_**Chapter 9**_

 _ **Thunderclouds**_

Todoroki sat on the living room couch, a cup of tea of tea in front of him on the coffee table with a fading trail of steam above it. Yao-Momo sat before him, sipping from a cup of her own. Looking at her as she watched TV, he couldn't help but think back to the night before. The way she fought, the way her gaze didn't waver as their attacker held her. He couldn't help but chuckle a bit to himself; she was not the same person from their practical exam fight against Mr. Aizawa. In fact, the son of Endeavor was relieved to have her in his corner during all the events that had been going on.

He turned his gaze to the TV, some movie on that he didn't know. A guy in a dashing suit was shooting others around him, but Todoroki didn't care about all that. He thought about his old man's warning.

" _So, Alloy's here, huh? I guess that explains the frequent attacks. Yet, if he can order attacks in both Spain and Japan, then he must have rounded up quite the squad. Still, it doesn't explain how he knows we were here._ " Todoroki furrowed his eyebrows as he thought. However, his train of thought was stopped by the ringing of his phone.

He saw it was his sister, so he went into the kitchen before picking up.

"Hello Fuyumi."

" **Hey Shoto, how's it going over there?** "His sister face appeared on the screen with a smile.

"Been better, to be honest, but I've been holding up. How's mum?" he asked.

" **She's well. I came to see her today, but I found her asleep.** "

"I see. Maybe I can talk to her tomorrow then."

" **Maybe…** "

There was a long pause. Todoroki sighed before breaking it.

"How about you? You doing good?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Glad to hear. Look, I gotta go deal with some stuff. Talk to you later, okay?"

" **Wait!** " She said before he hung up.

"What's up?"

" **Shoto… be honest with me. What's up with all those attacks on your classmates? I mean, one** _ **was**_ **in Barcelona, y'know.** " She asked, worry visible on her face. Todoroki wouldn't show his surprise over the question, but the few moments he took before answering suggested it.

"I'm not sure, Fuyumi. But know that you have nothing to worry about. I'll be back before you know it." He said, doing his best to reassure her.

" **Shoto… please be careful. Dad says a dangerous man is behind all this. I have a mother in the hospital. I don't want a brother there too.** " She said. Todoroki looked at the image of her on his screen for a bit.

"I understand. Don't worry, Fuyumi. Everything's gonna be alright. Now, say hi to mum for me if she wakes up while you're around." He said.

" **Sure. See ya, Shoto.** " She hung up.

Todoroki put his phone in his pocket. He couldn't stop thinking about what Fuyumi said about their mother, how her eyes spelled sorrow and worry like he never saw them do. He clenched his fists, thinking about one thing… his old man.

Somehow, young Todoroki Shoto was always a part of his old man's messes. His dreams of surpassing the symbol of peace; his cold attitude that got Yoarashi, the guy who turned down U.A., to hate both of them and cause them to fail the provisional license exam the first time; and then there was the whole thing with Alloy. Not only were the Todorokis involved in Endeavor's issues, but as of late, it seemed as though Shoto's _friends_ were being dragged down as well.

Todoroki felt the room grow hotter and found out his left arm had a small trail of flames going down it from shoulder to knuckles. Taking deep breaths, the fire gradually dissipated back into his body as he set all the resentment towards his old man aside with practised ease. He couldn't afford to be blinded by that once more, not during such times.

He walked back to the living room and resumed his seat on the couch, Yao-Momo still there. She turned around so that she faced him.

"Something wrong? That took you a while." She asked him.

"It's nothing. Just my sister checking in."

"I see. Must be good to have a sibling around, right? I don't have any, so I don't really know how that feels like."

"Me neither, believe me. When my old man saw my power, he took me in to train me and raised me away from my brothers and sister." Todoroki explained stoically, the resentment nudging back at his heart.

"Oh… I'm sorry." Said Yao-Momo, clearly embarrassed.

"It's alright. Anyway, have you thought of what we're going to say to Mr. Snakeman?" He changed the subject.

"I've got some ideas going on. You?"

"Same. I've been thinking we should open up with how they know we're here." He suggested.

"It's certainly an important question. But what do you think of starting with what do they want from us in the first place?" She asked. Todoroki pondered for a few moments, rubbing his chin.

"I see why you would want to start with that, but I honestly don't think he'll be so talkative from the beginning. I say we toy a bit with him first, discover the way he talks himself out of things, then we exploit his weaknesses. What do you say?" He looked up at her.

"Well, it's a good plan. Although I must say, you seem to watch an awful lot of CSI." She said, giving him a knowing smile.

"That's just not true. I prefer _Agatha Christie_ novels." He returned with a smirk of his own.

She rested her head against the back of the chair with a sigh, looking up at the ceiling. Her mind drifted to the night before and their opponent.

"Wow… They even know where your house is. Just how well-informed are these people?" She asked.

"Very. They know who our classmates are, where they are, where we're staying outside of Japan… They're even familiar with our fighting styles."

"Really? I couldn't tell about the fighting style…" She turned to him, eyes slightly wide.

"Before you joined in, he managed to dodge a great deal of my attacks. He also seemed prepared in case he couldn't dodge my fire, seeing as how he left his old skin on deliberately." He answered.

"Wait, he had kept his old skin on? Doesn't that get real bad for a snake?"

"I have no idea. Speaking of fighting styles, though, when did you get so fast?" He jumped at the chance to ask her.

"You're not the only one training and improving during the summer, y'know. And seeing as how it impressed you, I'd say my training's been quite fruitful." She said with a grin.

"No arguments here, believe me." He said.

"So, when do we go to meet the guy? The police said we have until tonight before they send him back to Japan." She asked.

"We'll go on later today, a bit after dusk. If we're interrogating a criminal, we might as well do it when the weather's at its best." He said, causing her to chuckle a bit.

* * *

Back in Japan, All Might had his brows furrowed in thought as he sat in Tsukauchi's office, the officer pacing around the room. They had been searching all night, but it was as though the kids and the criminals had vanished into thin air. The officer had given orders to several of his men to look around the factory again for any evidence and a search team was also sent out to find them.

All Might thought back to the transmission. Was there anything suspicious about it? He had never seen the clawed man, who know he knows is called Cleave, until then. Other than that, everything in the video seemed normal. A dead end then.

Tsukauchi hung up his phone for what could have been the fiftieth time during the hour. It was frustrating, how those villains escaped from right under his nose. It couldn't have been real, something was off. What was it though? He needed to get to the bottom of it all and quickly… children's lives hung in the balance.

He then looked up, his face brightening with an idea.

"Wait, why not?" He said as he made another call.

"Hello. Listen, I needed a Mrs. Midoriya Inko brought into my office as soon as possible. No need for roughing up, she's a witness. Pure respect with her or it's your ass. And be careful; her son's missing." He said before he hung up. Again.

"She could identify the villains." All Might realised.

"Yeah. I honestly don't know why we didn't think of that until now."

"We were just too focused on finding them. Anyway, she should be here any minute now. Maybe she can help give us a lead." Suggested the former symbol of peace.

Indeed, in no more than a few minutes, Midoriya Inko came in and sat across from All Might at Tsukauchi's desk. The two men could clearly see the darkness that outlined her eyes, as well as how puffy said eyes seemed. It was obvious that she had cried herself to sleep the previous night.

"Mrs. Midoriya, I would like you to rest assured that we are doing all we can to bring your son back to you. He will return safely, I promise." Started Tsukauchi.

"Thank you." Her reply came weakly.

"The reason we brought you down here is because we need your help. Do you remember anything about the villains? Their appearance, something they had said, anything?"

"You saw the clawed man in the broadcast. There was a bulky man, tanned, with grey hair. He'd always wear sunglasses. There was also a woman. Slim, silver-haired and her eyes crimson red." She said, her voice distant and her eyes devoid of light completely.

Tsukauchi wrote down her descriptions as she read them. Once she was done, he raised his eyes to meet All Might's, but the hero was looking at the ground, his face unreadable. It was as though he was… ashamed? Why would he be?

The officer dismissed it for the time being and turned back to the woman.

"Did they say anything of interest while you were captive?"

"Yes, they did."

"What?"

"They said they'd take them to Barcelona. I assume you can understand why I couldn't come forward with this sooner." She said, prompting the two men in the room to look at her, eyes wide as saucers, as they nodded in understanding.

"Really? Did they say where exactly?" Asked Tsukauchi.

"No. They mentioned a hideout, but that's it." She said, as the officer filed through his papers quickly.

"Well, we need to know where. I know just how to. Anyway, thank you, ma'am. There's someone outside to escort you to your house if you need to. Now, I must run." Tsukauchi said, leaving the office in a hurry.

A few minutes of silence passed by as though they were hours. All Might went back to looking at the ground the moment his officer friend left the roo, and Inko never bothered to break the silence. Finally, she stood up and made her way towards the door.

"Please, ma'am. Wait a second." All Might jumped and she stopped in her tracks, her hand around the doorknob.

"I know it won't bring back your son and that it won't undo any of the damage done, but for what it's worth… I'm sorry. I couldn't fulfill my promise to you. I let my pride in Young Izuku cloud my better judgement. Please, know that I won't rest until he is back safe and sound." Said the former peace symbol.

"…I don't blame you." She said, startling him.

"What?"

"I don't blame you. Even if he hadn't gone to them, the attack on the two of you meant that they would have come to him. You feel bad? Imagine how I feel when I think of him, missing because of me. I wasn't strong enough to tell you what I knew before, but I couldn't miss this chance to make things right." She turned to him, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

"Please save my son… hero." She said.

"Of course…" He said, his blue eyes blazing with newfound fire.

"I promise you: It will all be fine… for I am going for Young Midoriya."

* * *

On the outskirts of Barcelona, several hours later, the sun was setting when Uraraka woke up, her head spinning. She turned her head and saw her friends still asleep, then she realised that they were all tied up. Looking around her, she saw three figures talking at a table.

Recognising them as the three villains from before, she looked down again, as though she was still sleeping. They didn't seem to notice her, so she listened in as intently as she could to their conversation.

"… So let me get this straight. The boss wants us to kill these kids except the plain-looking one, which we'll hand over to All for One… why again?" Asked the man with the claws.

"Because, for the last time Cleave, the boss made a deal with him: If All for One gave him the powers he needed, he would hand over All Might and that kid for him to kill." Explained the lady. Uraraka's eyes widened in fear.

"Okay, Illusia, I got it this time. What're we waiting for, though? Let's kill them now!" Said Cleave.

" _What?!_ " Thought Uraraka to herself.

"No. We kill them when they wake up." Said the bulky guy.

" _Thank God…_ "

"But Fist, you saw what they could do. We have to play it safe here, don't you think?" Argued the clawed man.

"We need them alive for when the boss goes up against Todoroki." Said Fist.

"Oh, fine!" Said Cleave, defeated.

Uraraka felt fear and panic start to overcome her. Those people wanted to use them as bait for Todoroki, then kill them?! Between the ropes tying them and the three highly dangerous villains, their chances of escape were pretty slim. She slowly turned to look at Midoriya.

" _No… Deku wouldn't think like that. We just need a plan. But as we are, our best bet would be for me to wait until the others wake up, so that we can fight them together._ "

She turned to Asui, her mouth covered with a white cloth, most likely to prevent her from using her tongue. Iida's legs were tied up and Midoriya's hands and legs were tied up extra tight. They knew how to counter measure their Quirks. But something caught her eye…

Uraraka's eyes widened in realisation. The ropes… didn't seem strong enough around them, and then there was the fact that the ropes tying her up weren't that special, in regards to Quirk stopping. She had a plan to wake them all up. She just needed to wait for the right moment…

About thirty minutes later, the three villains stood up from their table.

"So, you guys wanna get some fresh air or something?" Asked Cleave.

"Sure, why not?" Said Fist as he followed him and Illusia didn't take long to follow.

A little bit after they went out, Uraraka touched her hand with her other hand's fingertips, causing her to float weightlessly above the ground. Once she was a suitable height above the ground, she brought her fingertips together.

"Release…" She said, the strain of her powers weighing on her.

She fell down, and her chair fell on he ground with a loud crash. Though it was weak, she smiled when her friends jolted from their sleep.

"Wha..?" Said Iida, as he took in the surroundings.

"Good morning, you sleepyheads. We're in the villains' hideout."

"What? When did that happen?" Asked Midoriya.

"Look, there's no time. Deku, tear your ropes with your powers and free the rest of us while we still have time. We'll most probably have to fight our way out of here and I'm not sure even you can take them on alone." She said.

Midoriya got to work as fast as he can. First he tore through his ropes with ease using his maximum Full Cowl, then he proceeded to free the others. By the time he was done, the door burst open and the villains' eyes landed on them.

"What?! How'd they get free?" Said Cleave in surprise.

"Well, I guess this is where we fight, right Uraraka?" Asked Asui.

"Yup. This is it." She replied.

Fist stepped forward, cracking his knuckles as he glared at Midoriya.

"Wanna pick where we left off, kid?"

"Not even a little." Said Midoriya, sinking into a fighting stance as green electricity danced around him.

The next thing he knew, the bearer of One for All had a giant guy over him, fist in the air ready to squash him. Midoriya jumped back as the man's fist hit the ground and kicked off the wall, retaliating with a kick to the nose. Fist stumbled back a bit and glared at Midoriya.

"You sure are one troublesome guy, aren't you, squirt? Well, guess I'll just have to crush you." Said Fist, fuming.

Midoriya grit his teeth as he and Fist engaged once again.

Iida had picked up where he left off with Illusia, kicking her with his Engine Boost, while she dodged with ease. He needed to find an opening and finish things quickly before his engines overheated.

He kicked her, but she ducked and tackled him. He fell and saw her coming down at him with what seemed to be a dagger. He rolled out of the way, stood to his feet again quickly and landed a kick to her gut…

…but she turned to smoke the moment his foot connected. His eyes widened.

"My Quirk is illusions and thought manipulations." He turned and saw her standing behind him, dagger in hand.

"I see. So you're a trickster. A handy Quirk, but it won't be enough to win against me." Said Iida confidently.

"Believe me, one way or another, I will get my revenge on you… Ingenium!" She said lunging at him with her dagger.

Uraraka shared the same situation as Iida. Cleave was slashing at her, and she was just dodging, waiting for an opening. He was even faster than before. Could they have been holding back on her and her friends? She didn't have time to dwell on that.

She dodged a slash aimed at her torso, then dodged another aimed at her face. He then went to stab her and she pivoted on her right heel to dodge. She then moved in to grab him, but he was quick to step away.

" _Damn it. I just need to touch him. If I can just make him float…_ " She thought to herself.

"What's the matter? Tiny doll not so feisty after her nap?" He taunted.

She resumed her stance as he lunged at her again with a yell.

Midoriya had been trying to fend Fist off for a while now, but he was pretty hard to put down. It was as though his muscles were so hard they'd nullify the shocks of Midoriya's attacks. Could that have been his Quirk?

The bearer of One for All ducked under a jab aimed straight at his face and leapt out of the way as the bulky man's hand got stuck in the wall. Midoriya seized his chance and lunged at Fist, kicking him in the face a few times, backing away when he got his hand out. Yet, when he saw Fist's hand, his eye widened.

The man's hand had turned into pure rock, just like the wall. Even in colour, one wouldn't have been able to tell the difference. Fist placed his other hand on the wall and the same happened to it.

"I make gauntlets out of what I touch. Don't look so scared… I have yet to use it on you."

Midoriya sank into his fighting stance, and locked eyes with Fist. Before he could react, though, Fist had already punched Midoriya in the face, and sent him sprawling away a few feet back. The younger man snapped out of his daze, only to feel another punch to his gut.

Midoriya hit the wall and slumped down to the ground. He opened his eyes slightly and found Fist making his way towards him. He tried his best to stand up.

" _Damn it… He was toying with me all along. I wasn't sure whether I could use this yet to begin with, but at this point, I don't have much of a choice, do I? If I don't reach my absolute limit… He could kill me._ " Midoriya took a breath and took a fighting stance, knowing exactly what he has to do.

"Still wanna fight, huh? You sure don't know when to give up, kid." Said Fist with a smirk.

"Maybe… but that's one of the best things about me." Midoriya said, smirking back.

"Well, then you should learn how to!" Fist lunged at Midoriya.

Before Fist knew it, though, Midoriya was below him, knee ready to slam into his gut. Acting as fast he could, Fist raised his rocky hands and slammed them down, but they only hit the ground beneath him. The bearer of One for All looked down at his opponent as his jump took him all the way up to the ceiling. The bulky man looked up and saw his younger opponent speeding towards him.

" _One for All… Full Cowl 30%!_ " Midoriya said under his breath as he planted his foot into Fist's nose and drove his face into the ground, making a small crater around them.

Midoriya jumped out of the smoke, covered in dirt. Still, he felt proud of himself as he watched Fist's unconscious body lay before him in the crater. He looked around to check on the others and see how they were doing so far.

Iida lost his focus when she mentioned his brother's hero name, so Illusia seized the chance to turn the tables. At that moment, Iida became the one to dodge, while she switched to attacking.

"Wait, revenge? What are you talking about?" He asked her, as he side-stepped to dodge a stab aimed at his heart.

"You'll die. There's no point in telling you." She said, slashing at his torso, but he stepped back.

"Not of I can help it." He said, ducking below another slash and sweeping her off her feet.

She fell down and he was quick to press his foot to her hand which held the blade. The heir of Ingenium narrowed his eyes in realisation as she smiled, vanishing into the wind under the soles of his shoes. He turned behind him and saw her standing a few feet away, red with rage.

"You're just like him… It annoys me." She said, trying to maintain her composure.

" _I think I know her weakness now… I just need to keep her talking._ " He thought to himself.

"What do you have against Ingenium?" He asked her again.

"As I said, you'll die anyway. Yet I suppose killing you after you know about it will make it all the more fun." She said, closing her eyes.

"I lived alone with a little girl, one which wasn't related to me by blood. I had found her as a baby in a dumpster when I was five years old and took her back to the box in which I lived; where _I_ was trying my best to survive. It was hard, being poor and lonely, but together, we would pull through and cheer each other up. Over the years, she became my reason for fighting. Until…" She looked down, clenching her fists as her hair overshadowed her eyes.

"Until…?" Iida asked, urging her to go on.

"They came and took her from me. After five years together, they just came and took her, under the name of 'caring for orphans'. But I wasn't one to buy that load of crap. I've seen many people destroyed by those corporate bastards, just for money. Besides, if they cared about orphans so much, then why didn't they take me?!"

Iida looked on at her, as she told him the story. He kept his guard up, but listened intently nonetheless.

"I managed to track them down and tried to get her back. But they told me she had passed away from a disease… I lost it. I couldn't believe it. Until they showed me to her room, the sheets over her head."

"That's when it started for you." He concluded.

"I couldn't let them get away with it. They were liars and they took away from me the most important thing in my life! I couldn't let them go unpunished. I tracked them down one by one. But Ingenium… he stopped me from delivering justice. Some hero." She looked up to glare at Iida.

But she was instead met by a Recipro Burst-powered kick to the side of her face, sending her flying into a nearby pole. The heir of Ingenium lowered his leg to stand upright, as he watched her unconscious body on the ground.

"You're one to talk about crap. You have only yourself to blame for resorting to murder to relieve your stress." Iida said with a glare, relief washing over him as he felt the adrenaline decline in his veins.

Uraraka was still caught in her same stale mate. Cleave was simply too fast for her. She grit her teeth; not even her Gunhead martial arts worked on that guy. What then? She needed to catch him off-guard if she wanted to make him float. Whether he'd allow her that or not, though, was a very different story.

The clawed man swung his hand down, narrowly missing her face as she stepped back. He followed up with a flurry of slashes, making sure that each one would cover the openings of the previous one, much to the brunette's chagrin. He gained ground on her, as she found herself holed up in a corner of the room.

"Twinkle twinkle little star. With how many pieces should I start?" He said, his claws ready to finish the job.

Uraraka braced herself as he charged in on her, but she was surprised to find that he had stopped in his tracks, and that something invisible seemed to hold him by his forearm.

"Wha-? Hey!" He said, trying to pull his arm out of whatever was holding him.

Uraraka saw her chance and charged. He turned to her and tried to slash her with his free hand. She easily side-stepped and touched his arm, a faint glow coming off her fingers.

Cleave waved his hands and feet in the air as he floated above the ground. Unfortunately for him, he found himself being hurled towards a metal pillar, his head hitting it hard. A little dizzy, he found himself flying towards another pillar, then back to the first one. After being hit several times, he was dropped to the ground, where he fell down unconscious.

Uraraka looked at him, then looked beside her as Asui got out of her Camouflage state, both of them high-fiving. The two boys joined them.

"We should tie them up somehow. It'd be bad if they got away." Suggested Asui. Midoriya and Iida went and grabbed the ropes used to tie them up and tied the villains to the chairs where the young heroes-in-training once sat.

"So, any idea where are we?" Asked Iida.

"Not really, but I do know Todoroki's here and that these people's boss went for him." Uraraka said, and the group ran for the door.

They all looked at the city, far away from them. They looked around, but saw no vehicle whatsoever to help them get to the city and help their friend.

"Now what?" Said Iida.

All four of them fell deep in thought, when Uraraka looked up.

"I have an idea. Deku, Tsuyu, come here and hold onto me." The two of them shared a look and approached the brunette. She touched both of them as they held onto her, rendering them weightless. She then hopped onto Iida's back.

"Alright Iida. You're our ride out of here." She said.

"I see… wait to go, Uraraka!" Said Midoriya, to which the brunette smiled before turning away to hide her blush.

"Alright then, hold on tight… _**Recipro Burst**_!" Said Iida as he sped down the way, his friends behind him.

* * *

Night had fallen. Todoroki and Yao-Momo sat opposite to Slizzle in a dimly lit room. The air was thick enough to be cut with a knife, but that didn't prevent Todoroki and Slizzle from competing in a glaring contest. The creation heroine was the one to break the silence.

"Why did you come to our house?" She asked him.

"Your house? I thought it was just his." Replied the snake.

"How would you know that?" Asked Todoroki.

"I am a man of many talents."

"Doubtful." Said Todoroki.

"If you two are here to pester me with meaningless questions, then you should save your breath. I'm not telling you anything." He said.

Todoroki stood up and activated the ice on his right hand.

"You see, you are going to tell us what we need. Those people outside authorised me to… harm you." Said Todoroki, his figure hulking over Slizzle's.

"Hah! Be my guest. You're certainly not worse than the boss."

"You mean Alloy?" Asked Yao-Momo.

"You think you know who our boss is just by googling him, don't you?"

"So you do work for Alloy. Now, how about you tell me this… why would Alloy attack my friends, both here and back in Japan, rather than just attack me?" Asked Todoroki.

"The boss likes to have his fun." Said Slizzle.

Todoroki and Yao-Momo shared a look. The snake man was playing hard ball. They needed a way to crack him. She thought about it for a bit then looked back at her friend, an idea in mind.

"Well, I gotta tell you, you certainly are loyal to Alloy." She started.

"What?" He said, clearly suspicious. Todoroki even raised a brow as well.

"No need to be surprised. I mean, it's rare to find that kind of loyalty these days." She said.

"Why, thank you. You could obviously stand having someone like me around." Said Slizzle with a smirk.

"I doubt that." Yao-Momo brought out a tuning fork from under the table –one she probably created with her Quirk just then- and slammed it on the table.

Slizzle shrieked at the high-pitched ringing. Todoroki was annoyed, but Slizzle seemed to take it a lot more badly.

"You hate vibrations like that, don't you? Now, tell us what we need, or we bring out even higher noises." Warned Yao-Momo.

"I'll never talk." Slizzle soon regretted those words when she slammed the tuning fork on the table again, harder this time.

"He… Agghh… uses a satellite… to get info..." Admitted Slizzle.

" _It seems that as an animal, his instincts are driving him towards the safer path. Right now, that's spilling the beans._ " Thought Todoroki.

"Okay, that's good. Now why wouldn't he just attack me?" Asked the son of Endeavor.

"The initial plan was to fill your head with dreams using someone's Quirk… then lure you in by kidnapping some of your friends…" The snake said.

"What about the current plan?" Asked the creation heroine.

"The boss wouldn't say… I swear… Just put the fork away, okay?" Slizzle said, exhausted from the noise.

"Actually, I think we got what we came here for." Said Todoroki, as he and Yao-Momo stood up and left.

* * *

Outside the police station, both of them thought about what Slizzle just admitted.

"So, Basilisk here said that Alloy is using a satellite to know our locations and learn about us, and that his plan is so big a secret he wouldn't tell even his own subordinates." Summed up Todoroki.

"Yeah, pretty much. What do you think we should do?" She asked.

"Well, as much as I hate to admit it, but my old man's right. We need to get out of here. At least back home, we'd have more back up. If Alloy knows more about us than we know about him, then we're at a clear disadvantage." He thought.

"You're right. We'll fly home first thing tomorrow, then." She said, already planning the arrangements in her head.

Todoroki nodded and turned around to walk towards the limo. He stopped in his tracks once he saw a man in a trench coat, his eyes piercing through the son of Endeavor as said young man realised who he was looking at.

"Hello… Shoto."


	10. The Metal Demon

_**Chapter 10**_

 _ **The Metal Demon**_

Todoroki and Yao-Momo looked at the man in front of them, eyes wide with realisation. The night breeze blew past the three of them, silence hanging between them as they lost sense of all else around them. Todoroki in particular felt as though he was sinking. He knew he would meet Alloy, but it happened much sooner than he had anticipated. He knew Alloy was strong, but the weight of his presence was on a completely different level than anything he had felt before, including Stain's.

Yao-Momo studied Alloy's facial features. She knew that it had been a while since he was thrown in prison, but the Ex-hero of the Impossible's face looked much older than his actual age. Whether that was the doing of prison or the weight of his desire for revenge was something the creation heroine hoped she wouldn't know. Still, she was more concerned about his eyes; how they held a dark fever and a furious flame so hot it went blue. They made her feel so… overwhelmed.

"I must say, Shoto, you look well, all things considered. I actually thought those dreams would shake even you at least a little bit, but I was wrong. You're as steady as a rock." Said Alloy, his voice level and deep.

"What dreams?" Todoroki asked, taking a defensive stance as he glared at Alloy.

"Oh, you know. The ones where your friends call you a cowardly, non-heroic traitor. Just like your father. You see, in case you didn't know, these dreams were the doing of one of my subordinates." The ex-hero of the impossible donned a smirk.

" _He's the reason behind my dreams?!_ "

" _He knows about the dreams?!_ "

The heroic pair's eyes widened as the reality of the situation finally dawned on them. Alloy didn't just know their abilities and their locations. He knew their _thoughts_. He played with them; manipulated them; twisted them; used them. He left nothing at all to chance. Todoroki collected himself and clenched his fists, maintaining his glare.

"If you thought a few meaningless nightmares would bring me down, then you clearly haven't been paying much attention when observing me through your satellite."

"Oh, believe me; I know that it wouldn't have been enough. You're Endeavor's brat; you're too stubborn to know your place on your own."

"Why are you here?" Asked Yao-Momo.

"I'm here to take you two with me. You might want to come along; guests are waiting for you." Alloy's smirk gradually grew into a smile.

"Guests? What do you mean?" Asked Todoroki.

"Midoriya Izuku. Iida Tenya. Uraraka Ochaco. Asui Tsuyu. Those names familiar to you two?" Alloy said, before laughing out loud.

Todoroki and Yao-Momo shared a surprised glance before turning back to Alloy. When did he get to their friends? They both knew they would have to wait to get the answer, for they needed to rescue their friends as soon as possible. But how were they going to accomplish that with Alloy standing in their way?

" _Darn it… I have to make sure the others are okay, but there's no way he'll let me get to them. My only way is through him. Yet, I can't harm him with my Quirk, not outside of Japan. I hate to admit it, but I need help. I can't get that unless he uses his Quirk and ends up drawing attention. How should I bait him, though?_ " Todoroki thought to himself, trying his best to keep his mind clear as he thought of a plan.

Then, Todoroki took a step forward with his right foot, making a huge, thick wall of ice between both parties, while making sure not to hit Alloy. He then grabbed Yao-Momo's hand and ran into the nearest alley. Surprised, she soon started following his pace, only for them to be stopped by a hulking figure landing in front of them. The giant stood upright as his gruff voice came out.

"It's not polite to take off without saying goodbye, Shoto. You should know that."

Alloy's now red pupils glared through the heroic duo, as his giant figure looked down on them. His body became full-on metallic and his trench coat and undershirt got completely torn off, as well as his shoes and the lower part of his pants. Todoroki and Yao-Momo took a few steps back in shock.

"That's impossible! There was no record of him being capable of gigantification!" Yao-Momo stated.

"That's right. I did get to meet another friend of yours. His name, I recall, is All for One. You came across him in Kamino Ward?" Said Alloy, a smile breaking onto his face.

"No way…" Todoroki said, stared at the ex-hero in disbelief.

"And I think it's fair that you should know: this isn't gigantification. This is muscle augmentation. Big difference."

" _I heard Midoriya talk about it from when he fought Muscular. That muscle Quirk is really troublesome, but go and combine it with metallic exterior… He's practically a tank!_ " Yao-Momo thought.

Todoroki wasted no time to make another wall of ice between them. He knew Alloy would easily break through it, but he was hoping it would at least buy them some time to get a head start. Turning around to run, the son of Endeavor and his friend ran towards the main street.

However, they stopped in their tracks when they heard the loudest smash.

Shards of ice flew by them as they turned to see Alloy, standing there with right arm outstretched. His forearm seemed swollen, with metallic veins popping out of it. They felt what could pass as a tremor through their bodies as they stared wide-eyed at Alloy.

"Boosts. Thought they might come in handy." Said the ex-hero, flexing his fingers as the smiled at the heroic duo.

" _Darn it, how many Quirks does he have?!_ " Thought Todoroki, gritting his teeth.

"What's the matter, Shoto? You can't seriously be afraid of breaking the rules. C'mon, little kid scared of detention? Please! Just fight me!" Yelled Alloy, a maniacal look on his face.

Alloy went in for a punch, but Todoroki and Yao-Momo jumped in separate directions to confuse him. Yet Alloy didn't fall for it and went for Todoroki anyway.

"I said… _**FIGHT ME!**_ " The ex-hero of the impossible said impatiently, as he slammed a powered-up punch into Todoroki's gut, sending him flying into a wall.

Yao-Momo stared at the beat up Todoroki wide eyed, before turning back to Alloy with a scowl.

"You're not getting away with this!" She said, voice filled with anger.

"With what? He's the one that was too weak to do what was right and fight back. You're just like him, aren't you? How do you expect to be heroes if you can't even protect yourselves when you need to? How do you expect to be heroes if you can't even do the right thing? You're too weak… and only strong fists do the impossible."

Before Yao-Momo could retaliate, Alloy looked down to see almost his entire lower half is covered in a thick layer of ice, rising up to his torso. He looked towards the trail of ice and saw Todoroki crouched with his right hand on the ground, his hair overshadowing his eyes.

"You know, old man, for once we agree on something. However, you're wrong about one thing…" said the son of Endeavor.

"And what is that?" Asked Alloy, brows furrowed in annoyance.

"We're not weak." Looking up, Todoroki was just in time to see Yao-Momo slam a sledgehammer into Alloy's head, slightly hurting him. Before the ex-hero could react, the son of Endeavor covered him completely in ice.

The duo stood side by side, watching the angry expression on Alloy's frozen face. Todoroki made a small fire along his left side to warm himself as he turned to Yao-Momo.

"He'll break free. I need you to go find the others while I hold him off for you. And maybe alert someone about this as well." Said Todoroki.

"Wait, you'll fight him alone? But he's got literally all he needs to defend against your attacks!" She pointed out.

"I know. And I know that this is the same mistake I made during our practical exam, but right now, we need to save the others. He wants me. If so, then I'm right here." Explained Todoroki, as he watched the ice start to slowly crack.

"But Todoroki… He could…" She said, concern written all over her face.

"I know what he can do. Nevertheless, I don't want you to worry about me. I'll keep my end of the deal." He said, comforting her with a confident smirk.

Looking into his resolve-filled eyes, she reluctantly nodded and started running towards the street. Once she was out of sight, Todoroki sighed and then took a fighting stance just as Alloy broke free, his entire body momentarily swelled up with his Boost.

"You let her go. A stupid move, Shoto." Said Alloy, looking at the son of Endeavor angrily.

"That's not for you to worry about. Now, how do you want me to beat you up?"

"How about we figure that out _if_ we get there?" Alloy said, lunging at Todoroki.

The hero-in-training stepped back to dodge the attack, the fist missing his face by mere inches. Still, wasting no time, Todoroki aimed his left hand at Alloy's face and let his fire loose in a stream. Alloy was quick to shield his face with his other forearm, the fire bouncing safely off his metallic skin.

The son of Endeavor jumped back to gain some distance, but the ex-hero would not give him any breathing room. He reached out to grab Todoroki, but his hand stopped short when a wall of ice came out of the ground and consumed his hand, freezing it in place.

"Naïve!" Yelled the Ex-Hero as he yanked his hand out of the icy wall, shattering it in the process.

Todoroki, having gained his distance, took a step forward… with his left leg.

"Wha-?" Alloy was surprised. Todoroki had never used his left leg before. He didn't even know he _could_ use it.

Alloy woke up from his daze when a stream of fire crashed against his face from underneath, getting him to take a few steps back. Still, despite getting a clean hit, Todoroki grit his teeth. Save for soot, Alloy had no injuries on him at all so far.

"You know, Shoto, I thought you were stronger than that." Said the hulking man with a smirk.

"Yeah, well, people thought you were a hero; lighten up." Retaliated Todoroki.

Scowling, Alloy Boosted his right hand and punched in the direction of the son of Endeavor. Shielding his eyes from the dust, Todoroki used his ice to stay in place as the mere wind pressure caused by the punch pushed him back.

" _It's almost like All Might's attacks!_ " thought Todoroki to himself.

The son of Endeavor lowered his hands and found Alloy over him, fist closing in on the younger man's face. He quickly dodged and used his ice to quickly move back a few feet. Alloy pulled his hand back before turning to the son of Endeavor.

"Well, at least you're fast. No matter where you run, though, I'll always get to you, Shoto."

"Why would I run from someone I'm not afraid of?" Retaliated Todoroki.

"A good answer. You've never feared much, have you? Just like your father." Said Alloy.

"You keep saying that, but you're wrong. If I'm fearless, it's because it's of my own nature. I'm nothing like my father." The son of Endeavor tried his best to hide his scowl.

"I see. You hate him, too. Yes… I guess you and I do agree on the fact that he is a scumbag." The ex-hero smiled.

"My family issues are none of your business. Now, I'm on a tight schedule so, if you just shut up and let me get back to wrecking you, I'd be really grateful." The hero-in-training got in a fighting stance.

Alloy smiled. That fight was more fun that he thought. He pushed off the ground as he lunged at Todoroki.

* * *

Yao-Momo ran through the streets, trying to find her way back. Since Alloy was standing in the way out of the alley into the main street, she had to take another route, but wound up getting lost. She grew frustrated, but managed to keep her mind clear to remember the paths from which she came.

Still, she needed to move quickly to get help in time. In front of powers like Alloy's, she wasn't sure even Todoroki would last pretty long. Nevertheless, she knew she had to believe in him. If anyone could have won that, it was him.

" _Well, he's not getting all the glory tonight!_ " She said as she took a right down yet another alley.

She ran as fast as her legs could manage, grinning happily when she finally found the main street, stretching on either side of her. She looked to her left, then to her right, trying to figure out where she was exactly. South west of the police station. With renewed determination, she decided on the best course to take and she started running down the road yet again.

" _Okay, now that step one is complete and I know where I'm going, I can move on to step two. Right now, my best shot at knowing where our friends are is through the snake._ " She thought, taking a right.

" _Still, he only knew the_ Initial _plan, so there's a big chance he won't be able to give me something I can work with. Unless… they must have a hideout somewhere. That's gotta be where the others are._ " Yao-Momo's train of thoughts was interrupted when she heard a car's horn behind her. She looked back and saw Arthur through the window of the limo, sitting in the driver's seat.

"Ms. Yaoyorozu? What's the matter? Where's master Shoto?" He asked, seeing the alarmed look on her face.

"Not much time to explain, Arthur. I need to get to the police station, like yesterday." She said.

"Get in, then." He said, starting the engine as she rode in the back.

As Arthur drove quickly, Yao-Momo looked at the passing shops and buildings, patiently awaiting the appearance of the police station.

" _Still, even if we do save them, it won't matter if Alloy's still lurking around. Please, just hold on a bit more Todoroki…_ " She thought.

* * *

Arthur parked the car in front of the police station hastily and Yao-Momo got out running as fast she could. Inside, she walked down a few corridors and made her way towards a man in a police suit, sitting on a desk.

"Hi. I was here a bit earlier for the snake, the one that's gonna be moved to Tartarus tomorrow and I was wondering if I could speak to him again. It's urgent." She said.

"Oh. I'm sorry, miss, but a car came for him just a few minutes ago to take him away." He answered.

"Darn… Well, look, a villain's attacking my friend down the alley right beside the station and he needs help as soon as possible. It's impossible to miss." Yao-Momo said, urgency obvious in her tone.

"Wait here." He said, walking over into an office at the far end of the room.

Yao-Momo took a seat. She had a bad feeling about something, but she couldn't quite put her hand on it. After a few minutes, the man came out.

"So?" She asked him.

"We'll send a squad down there as soon as possible." He said.

"What?! That villain has escaped Tartarus, shouldn't you be calling some heroes?" She asked him.

"I'm sorry, miss, but this is the best I could do right now. I ask you not to worry, we'll handle it." He said, leaving her to enter another room.

The creation heroine clenched her fist. How could she not worry?! Todoroki was out there, facing someone who could pass to be one of the world's worst villains and he was _on his own_. No, she couldn't just sit down, she had to do something. If she had no way of knowing anything about her friends, then she would at least be the one to help Todoroki!

She ran out of the police station, but stopped when she saw the sight awaiting her outside.

* * *

Todoroki panted, as he used his ice to stop himself from going any further backwards. Alloy was fast as he was big and those Boosts weren't making it any better for the son of Endeavor. Clenching his fists, Todoroki glared at the approaching Alloy.

"Growing tired already? C'mon, I'm not even done warming up!" Said the hulking metal man, charging towards the young hero-in-training.

Todoroki looked on carefully as Alloy got closer and closer, biding his time. Then, at a certain distance, he used his right foot to make a huge block of ice in front of the ex-hero, who couldn't stop suddenly and crashed face first into it. Scowling, Alloy glared at the younger man.

"What do you want from me?" Asked Todoroki, his glare unwavering.

"What does it matter to you if you'll already meet your end?" Asked Alloy.

"Well, wouldn't you want to know why you're being killed?" Returned Todoroki, half-sarcastically. Alloy glared at him for a bit, before closing his eyes.

"I take it you already know the story of me and your father; how he came to the hut to try and 'persuade me' into becoming a fake hero again. I'm sure, though, that you don't know what happened _after_ the police came with All Might."

"Enlighten me."

"Well, Enji and I were fighting…"

* * *

 _Endeavor had Alloy pinned to the ground, both of them struggling. Alloy knew that if he didn't break free soon, he could very well be put in a cell for the rest of his life. No, he couldn't let his path end there, not like this. He had a mission to fulfill._

 _Alloy used his Quirk to cover himself up in steel, then head butted Endeavor as hard as he can, forcing his grip loosen. Taking his chance, the metallic man leapt to his feet and made his way towards the stairs, only for his friend to grab his foot._

 _"Koto, you can't do this! You can't turn your back on who you are! I'm not letting you!" Endeavor yelled._

 _"This coming from the man who wants to hand me over to the police? You know, despite our differences, I always thought you were my best friend, Enji! Why would you do this?" Alloy yelled furiously, looking at Endeavor as his head bled from the earlier head butt._

 _"I di-"_

 _"_ _ **Why?!**_ _" Alloy said once again, kicking Endeavor in the face._

 _Endeavor took several kicks, but never did he let his grip loosen. Growing tired of being hit, he grabbed the leg._

 _"Would you open your mind up for a second, you arrogant fool?! There's no time for this! Escape if you will, but I must know that you won't be harming anyone else! This is my job as a hero. A job I share with you!" Yelled Endeavor, clearly agitated._

 _"I don't share my great mission with a treasonous faker like you." Alloy said, his words poisonous to Endeavor._

 _Endeavor's face twisted with impatience and anger. What could he do in a situation like this? Alloy clearly didn't budge. Still, there had to be a way…_

 _And that was when the sound of the door breaking was heard._

 _The two looked back and saw a muscular figure in the door way, the smile on it clear as day. In no more than a second, the figure was over them._

 _"Detroit… Smash!" The young All Might's fist slammed into Alloy's face, making his head buzz._

 _Fighting it, Alloy tried to punch All Might, but the symbol of peace caught his hand and twisted his arm around and followed up with a punch to the nose._

 _Alloy didn't last long before falling into unconsciousness. Even so, the whole time the two top heroes were struggling, Endeavor stood there, watching helplessly as his best friend got arrested. Alloy looked at him as he fell into a deep sleep, but couldn't see his face. Yet, he was sure how it must have looked: Satisfied at solving yet another puzzling case._

* * *

Todoroki listened intently as Alloy finished the story. The villain clenched his fists, a look of pure rage taking shape on his face.

"…So you see, I plan on taking revenge on him, for betraying me like that. And I plan on doing that by destroying everything he cherishes in the whole world, starting with his master piece. I'll kill you in front of his very eyes, as he watches helplessly while I literally get you to spill your guts!" Alloy glared at the son of Endeavor.

"Assuming you can beat me." He said, getting ready for another round.

Alloy smiled and held his right hand up. His palm started twisting and mutating, before settling into a completely new shape: a double-sided axe.

"Since you hate your left side so much, I thought I'd cut your left arm off. I hope you don't mind." Said the smiling ex-hero.

"Actually, I think I'll pass." Todoroki grit his teeth as Alloy lunged at him.

The ex-hero took a swing, but Todoroki ducked under it. His right hand on the ground, he made a sharp-edged structure of ice and aimed it at Alloy's head. The hulking metal man took a step back, dodging the ice, then used a Boosted punch to destroy it and blast away Todoroki.

Todoroki hit a wall and landed on his feet. He panted, having been too close to the shockwave for comfort. Gritting his teeth, the son of Endeavor righted himself and glared at the approaching Alloy, axe at the ready.

" _He's tough as hell, but he talks a lot. If I can drag this out till help gets here, I win._ " He thought.

"So, say you do kill me. What're you gonna do next? Kill my old man?" Asked Todoroki.

"Oh no, not so fast. I want him to suffer first. I'll… expand my territory of operations, so to say." The ex-hero smirked.

"What do you mean?" Todoroki raised a brow.

"There are others who he must see die to completely break."

The young hero-in-training thought it over, before his eyes widened with realisation. He clenched his fists, frustration slowly taking over him.

"You… want to kill my family?" The younger man asked.

"I thought that was a given, actually." Alloy shrugged.

The son of Endeavor couldn't help it; he was feeling furious. The man in front of him wanted to kill his sister, his brothers… his mother! He couldn't let it pass!

"I know what you're thinking, Shoto. You're thinking about how to defeat me and protect them. Well, let me tell you, you won't be able to do it. You were too chicken to even fight me a few minutes ago, how are you gonna bring yourself to completely overpower me? You don't have it in you."

"…You think you know everything." Said Todoroki, eyes overshadowed by his hair. Alloy, surprised, stopped in his tracks.

"What?"

"You think you know everything. You think you can tell what I think and do, maybe even before I do it. You said earlier you and I were alike. Well, you're wrong. I'm nothing like you, and I never will be. I work hard; I sweat and bleed all because I want to be a true hero in my own regard. Failures like you will never understand what that means, but here's a hint. It means making sure you don't lay hands on innocents. You may have been have been watching me for God knows how long... but you still have no idea who I am." Todoroki's left side flared to life as he looked up, eyes glaring daggers into Alloy.

The son of Endeavor aimed his left hand towards the Ex-hero, letting loose a stream of fire to engulf him. Alloy shielded his eyes as the flames struck him, growing hotter by the minute.

" _He probably won't melt like this… but I have to give it a shot. I have to take it to the next level!_ "

The young hero-in-training poured more power and heat into his flames, closing his fingers a little bit to make his hands concentrate the flames further into a steadier stream. Todoroki couldn't help but smile as sparks ricocheted off of Alloy. It was as though he was being welded.

The ex-hero frowned. The flames were growing hotter and stronger by the second. The heat spread quickly throughout his metallic body, the burning sensation growing painful. Gritting his teeth, he fought the pain and started walking forward against the stream of fire, all the while shielding his eyes.

After some time, Alloy grinned, having finally reached Todoroki. He reached with his hand and grabbed the younger man's left arm, and started crushing it with his fist. Todoroki yelled as he felt the bones being smashed under the pressure. He then felt himself being hurled towards the side, hitting a wall. Just as he was about to fall down, he felt a huge hand push him back into the wall, causing it to crack. Todoroki coughed blood, feeling a shooting pain in his chest.

" _Darn… I think I broke a few ribs._ " Todoroki thought as he opened his right eye, just enough to properly see Alloy's smirking face and his disfigured torso.

"You fought well, Shoto. You deserve to rest. Let me put you to sleep." Alloy said, lifting his arm up, ready to render the son of Endeavor unconscious.

However, just as he was about to get hit, Todoroki saw a flash of green pass by him and hit Alloy in the face. Losing his balance, the ex-hero let go of Todoroki and fell on a wall, destroying it under his weight as he attempted to use it for support.

The son of Endeavor looked up and saw someone with their back to him, green electricity dancing around them.

"Midoriya…?"


	11. Hero

_**Chapter 11**_

 _ **Hero**_

Todoroki groggily stood up, looking wide-eyed at Midoriya, whose back was turned to him. The son of Endeavor felt many things upon seeing his friend; relief, gratefulness, confusion. The latter dictated him to wonder what Midoriya was doing there, as the bearer of One for All turned to his injured friend.

"Todoroki! Are you alright? We have to get out of here." He said hurriedly.

"I'm fine, but where to? No where's safe from this guy, we have to fight him." Said Todoroki.

"I know, but even between the two of us, I doubt we can beat him. We'll need help. Now, come on, we have to hurry!" Said Midoriya, leading his friend away from where Alloy had fallen.

A few minutes later, they both came across the main street, where a limo stopped in front of them, its door opening.

"Come on, get in, quick!" Yelled Yao-Momo from inside, making room for both of them inside.

Getting inside the limo, Arthur revved the engine up and floored the gas, fleeing as fast as possible with the vehicle. Todoroki settled in his seat and looked around him at the other five.

"That was a bold move, coming back." He said to Yao-Momo.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't get help. I told the police, but they were only going to send a squad in. I didn't think it would've done anything against Alloy and on my way, I met these guys." She explained.

"How did you escape, anyway?" The son of Endeavor turned to the other four.

"Well, there was some bone breaking…" Said Uraraka with a smile.

"How's your arm?" Asked Yao-Momo, carefully inspecting Todoroki's broken left.

"It's not as bad as it looks, trust me. Anyway, any idea where we're go- Ugh!" Todoroki was cut off when the limo stopped abruptly, as if hitting something.

The six students turned to the front, only to see none other than Alloy in front of the car, a smile plastered on his face as he held the car in place and kept it from moving.

" _How strong is he?!_ " Thought the creation heroine.

"Where are you running off to, Shoto?! We weren't done playing yet!" He said, heaving the vehicle off the ground with his raw might.

Losing balance, the passengers inside fell over one another as Alloy shook the car as if it was a toy. He laughed heartedly as he brought it to a stop, but failed to see the glare on Yao-Momo's face.

"I've had about enough of you!" She yelled.

She extended her arm forward and made a diamond-tipped spear from her arm, the weapon tearing clean through her shirt's rolled up sleeve. Alloy widened his eyes when he heard the sound of the limo's windshield breaking and couldn't dodge the spear in time as it went right through his left eye.

The ex-hero let the vehicle fall and clutched his face, yelling out in pain. Todoroki, having quickly collected himself after the fall, turned to Arthur.

"Go, go, go!" Arthur quickly switched the car to reverse, turning around as he moved the car in the opposite direction as fast as he could.

Inside, everyone let out breaths they never knew they were holding.

"That sure was… intense." Said Iida.

"I doubt I'll enjoy the amusement park ever again." Admitted Asui.

"You saved our necks back there." Todoroki said to Yao-Momo, who hid her blush by turning away.

"It's okay. Just a hero's job, right?" She said, putting on a smile.

"Hey, Todoroki, isn't that…?" Midoriya pointed out the window at something, said hero-in-training going to check it.

"…No way!" Todoroki's eyes widened.

* * *

Alloy grit his teeth, the pain in his eye unyielding. Growing tired of it, he bit his lower lip as he yanked the spear out of his eye all at once, the pain practically doubling. He panted through his teeth and applied pressure on his eye, his enhanced body quickly closing the wound. The ex-hero panted and removed his hand, revealing his misshaped face.

"Darn kids… ruining my irresistibly handsome face like that. I'll make sure to take my time with that girl once I get my hands on her." Said Alloy to himself.

Once he turned to the direction the limo went, however, he was met with a fist to his face, pushing him back a few metres. Regaining his balance, the ex-hero laid eyes on the face of his attacker, hatred and rage bubbling to the surface once he met the pair of blue eyes.

"Enji…" Alloy's voice came out as a venomous hiss as Endeavor's real name escaped his lips.

"Long time no see, Koto. If you wanted to pull off the pirate look, there are patches, y'know." Said Endeavor.

"Make jokes while you can. The fact still remains that at the end of the day, you will be broken in every sense of the word." Replied Alloy.

"I've had enough of this, Koto. I tried to help you, but you crossed the line. Going after my son like that is something I can't look past. Now, I'll send you back to prison with my own two hands." Endeavor's fists lit up with flames as he sunk into a fighting stance.

"If you say so." Alloy followed suit and took a stance himself.

The two old adversaries stared each other down. Endeavor didn't expect to have to fight the ex-hero so soon, yet there he was. The flame hero knew, though, that while he may have once been his best friend, any trace of the man Alloy once was had been buried long ago. With that in mind, Endeavor threw away all doubts. He had to win and protect the kids if he was to fulfill his job as a true hero.

Taking a deep breath, Endeavor let loose a stream of fire towards the metallic man. Seeing it coming, Alloy Boosted his right fist and plunged it into the ground, breaking the street and making a wall out of the pieces to block the fire. Wasting no time, the ex-hero Boosted his other arm and hit the barrier, breaking and launching it towards Endeavor.

Surprised, Endeavor ceased his fire by instinct, but quickly came to and fired once more to melt the debris flying his way. When he looked for Alloy, however, he was nowhere around. Looking up, Endeavor was met with Alloy's fist delivering a hook to his face. Before the flame hero could counter, he felt the ex-hero dig another Boosted fist into his gut, sending him flying back a good couple of metres.

"Your Quirk was always a bad match-up for mine, Enji. You might as well just give it up." Alloy said with a smug smile.

"True, but you do remember which one of us had the higher ranking, don't you?" Endeavor retaliated with a smirk of his own.

"How long ago was that, though? With this power of mine, I think I might even be capable of going toe to toe with All Might himself. You don't stand a chance."

Endeavor's eyes widened at the mention of the former symbol of peace. Did Alloy say he was on par with All Might?

" _How dare he reduce All Might to such pathetic levels?! My rival is not one to be ridiculed such… and I will show you that, Koto!_ "

The flames enveloping Endeavor grew hotter as he stood upright, a scowl on his face. Alloy's smile faltered and he raised an eyebrow once he saw the look on the flame hero's face.

"You will learn not to speak of All Might, you dirt bag. And I will be the one to teach you, right now!" Yelled Endeavor as he lunged in for an attack.

* * *

The limo drove slowly down the road, a sudden traffic jam caused by the fight raging between old friends. Yao-Momo made a makeshift support for Todoroki's broken arm and bandaged it for him, just until he could get it properly checked out.

While he was being bandaged, though, Todoroki grew restless. He needed to know how the fight was going down. He attempted to tell Arthur to turn down the radio, but he forgot about his broken ribs in his excitement. He knew his father was coming to Barcelona, but his timing couldn't have been better. Even the son of Endeavor had to admit, he wasn't sure how much longer he could've gone against the ex-hero.

"There. All set." Yao-Momo finished bandaging him, and looked at the bandage to check if it would at least hold for a while.

"Hey, Arthur, could you turn the radio on? I wanna check how the fight's going." Todoroki said, finally able to spell his want.

"Of course, sir." Arthur pushed a button and the radio came to life with sound from a broadcast.

" _ **…Our number one hero seems to be in a deadlock with this villain. This just in, the villain is one of those who have escaped Tartarus not too long ago. For him to match our greatest hero… how strong is he?!**_ " The reporter said.

"I'm not sure about this, you guys. I have a bad feeling about this. What do you think?" Uraraka asked.

"He's the number one hero. He can do it… right?" Iida said, doubt written all over his face.

" _…He's at a disadvantage._ " Todoroki thought, clenching his good fist.

"I gotta say, he's probably gonna need our help." Asui said.

"How are we gonna give him that? There's no way we can turn around with all this traffic." Yao-Momo said.

"Arthur, what do you think? Can you turn us around?" Todoroki asked the butler, since he was the one handling the stick.

"It is certainly possible, sir, but I'm afraid the best route for us to take would be quite long. No guarantees so as to when we arrive."

"Let us worry about that. You just do what you can to take us there." Said Todoroki.

"If I may though, sir…" Arthur began.

"Yes?"

"I don't think you should go back." The butler admitted.

"What?" Todoroki's eyes widened slightly at Arthur's words.

"Your father is over there right now, fighting to make sure you don't get hurt any further by that monster. How do you think he would feel if you end up getting hurt anyway?" Arthur said. Todoroki was silent for a moment, carefully considering the words before answering.

"You're right Arthur. I could very well end up standing in the way of his job as a hero if I got hurt. But what if I don't? Sorry, Arthur, but if I want to take any steps towards becoming the hero I hold as my ideal, I can't run away from that guy." Todoroki reasoned.

"There's no bending you, is there, sir?"

"Not this time." Arthur couldn't help but smile at his young master's response.

"Then we're turning around." Arthur said, fighting his way through the cars towards a sideways street.

Everyone was focused on the road ahead… except for Yao-Momo, who could barely keep her smile as she looked at Todoroki's determined face.

* * *

Endeavor side-stepped to dodge a punch aimed at his face and countered with a flame-enhanced uppercut. Alloy took a step backwards from the force behind it, but he didn't seem that fazed by it, much to the flame hero's chagrin.

The number one hero took a step backwards, throwing a fireball at the ground beneath the ex-hero to make an explosion. Seeing it coming, however, Alloy jumped back a few metres, managing to avoid the attack. Endeavor noticed this and fired a stream of flames towards the villain.

Smirking, Alloy Boosted his right hand and swung it towards the approaching flames, the shock wave putting them out and pushing Endeavor back slightly, the latter reacting by guarding his face. Grunting as he came to a stop, the flame hero lowered his arms from his face to see the situation around him, but was instead met with a metallic hook to his left cheek.

"Naïve, Enji! You thought I feared your flames, but you're wrong! They barely even tickle!" Alloy yelled as he alternated between his arms, hitting the flame hero with hooks to his face.

The ex-hero hit Endeavor a few times, before nailing him with a Boosted punch to the gut, causing the hero to double over. Then, Boosting his right leg, he kicked him with all his might, launching Endeavor into the air.

Endeavor landed in the middle of a fountain in a square, breaking it. Pushing himself up, the flame hero rubbed the back of his head.

" _He's tougher than ever! I don't know how, but it's like he developed a few more Quirks. I guess that's what and All for One_ actually _talked about._ _At any rate, his power won't be as effective if I keep him at a distance. Seeing as how he can literally walk through my flames, though, I doubt I can do this conventionally. Still, I think there is a way…_ " Endeavor thought, as Alloy landed in front of him.

"Nice leap. I remember a time when you couldn't even climb ladders because your Quirk made you slip." The flame hero said.

"Yeah, well, I was a half-ass hero back then, just like you." The ex-hero smirked.

"We'll see who's half-assed after this."

Endeavor cupped his hands in front of his chest as he started gathering as much power into them as he can, making sure to keep it compressed in a sphere. Alloy, not caring about the fire, charged in, turning his left hand into a flail. The flame hero smiled as his old friend approached him.

"Eat my rubble, Koto!" Endeavor said, releasing the power in the sphere suddenly in Alloy's direction.

The explosion caused by the sudden release of power was too strong and sudden that it pushed Alloy back a few metres, causing him to fall on his back on the street.

The metallic man stood up, eyebrows raised. He never thought Endeavor could do something like that with his Quirk. It appeared to him as though he wasn't the only one who had been looking for ways to get stronger. Nevertheless, Alloy smiled to himself. Breaking Endeavor wouldn't be as fun if it was devoid of proper resistance.

The ex-hero Boosted his legs and readied his flail hand. Pushing the ground beneath him, he approached Endeavor quicker than the flame hero could gather energy for another explosion. Alloy swung his flail, aiming it at Endeavor's head, but the hero ducked below the attack, placing his hands on his old friend's abdomen. It was then that the ex-hero realised that Endeavor had two spheres in the palms of his hands and that they were being pressed against his own body for further pressure.

"Go to hell!" Endeavor yelled as, once again, his attack exploded against Alloy's body, this time at point-blank range.

The ex-hero was pushed back yet again. He was definitely growing tired of the situation he was in.

" _If I can't get close, then I can't hurt him! He knows that, so he's keeping me at a distance. I need to break his formation, or else I can't fulfill my mission!_ " Alloy clenched his fist.

Boosting his legs again, Alloy pushed the ground, this time his hands Boosted as he retracted his flail back into a normal hand. The flame hero brought the spheres he held in front of him; ready to blow Alloy away a third time. The ex-hero, however, quickly Boosted his legs again, and right when Endeavor released the power within the spheres, he jumped into the air, leaving him unaffected by the force behind Endeavor's attack.

"What the-?" The flame hero was surprised, hence couldn't react in time to Alloy's Boosted fist, sending a shock wave at him.

Endeavor fell to the ground and Alloy landed on top of him, his knees on the hero's arms. The ex-hero started punching Endeavor's face maniacally, bruising and injuring him in various spots. The flame hero tried to break free, but to no avail. He was being beaten, what with his plan and all.

" _Darn it. Am I really letting him get away with everything? Am I really going to accept this? …I still fear for him, don't I? I still believe my friend is in there somewhere. Well, you know what? If he is, then he wouldn't want to be used like that! I hate to say it, but… he'd rather lay in prison helplessly than hurt others. If that's the case, then as a hero, I'm doing all I can to save him!_ " Endeavor thought as he was being punched, clenching his fists. He had decided on what he had to do.

Alloy was about to deliver another punch when a sudden wave of heat came from below him. Endeavor's blue eyes glared daggers at him, as the heat grew stronger and stronger. And stronger. Until not even the metallic man could take it, so he backed away quickly. The flame hero stood up, watching Alloy's eyes gradually widen. Soon, the heat was unbearable that the water coming out of the remains of the fountain came out as vapour, and the floor beneath the flame hero looked as though it was about to melt. Then, the flames on Endeavor's body changed colour, becoming blue as the stars.

"This is the end for you, Koto." The flame hero said, his voice ironically cold.

"Not if I can help it!" Yelled Alloy as he attempted a charge.

Endeavor brought his hands forward and let loose a stream of blue flames towards the ex-hero. The flames weren't strong enough to push him back, but they were certainly hot enough to make him feel as though he was being welded. Alloy grit his teeth, Boosted his left arm while guarding with his right and sent a shock wave to nullify the flames. The flame hero resisted the shock wave and wasn't pushed back, but he fired yet another wave of blue flames at the villain.

* * *

The limo came to a sudden stop near a small street, and the six students of U.A. poured out of it. Uraraka looked up at the sky, and saw a helicopter flying away from the street.

"Hey, you guys, this must be the reporter's helicopter!" She pointed out.

"That must mean we're at the right place." Asui said.

"Master Shoto." Arthur called from inside the limo, prompting the son of Endeavor to look at him.

"Yes, Arthur?"

"Make sure you win this, okay?"

"You got it." Todoroki said with a nod.

The six of them turned towards the street and finally saw Endeavor and Alloy ahead. They hid behind a wall in the corner of a small building, peering to see the fight up close without being noticed.

"I've never seen Endeavor like this before. It's so hot…!" Midoriya said, wiping sweat from his brow.

"My old man has only used this state once before, at least as far as I know. It makes his fire much stronger and hotter that he can weld metal just by holding it." Todoroki explained as Alloy used another shock wave to nullify the flame hero's attack, only for the hero to replace with yet another torrent of flames.

"Then that must mean Alloy's beaten, right? He shouldn't stand a chance against that kind of power." Iida said.

"True… but it takes a lot out of him. Just by looking at him, I can tell that my old man's already pretty tired and beat up. He can barely keep it on for long as it is, but between the stress of the attack and his exhausted body… he can only use it for so long." The son of Endeavor explained.

"Still, shouldn't that short time be enough to beat that guy?" Asked Asui.

"I'm not sure, Asui. Alloy and Endeavor were once pretty close friends, so he probably already knows about this move. I'm thinking he prepared something against it with All for One when they met and he received all these powers. Alloy's fighting style is very close to Kirishima's: It's defensive tactics focus on draining the opponent while blunting off attacks. So a fight against Alloy is a test of stamina." Yao-Momo rubbed her chin as Alloy made yet another shockwave.

"So that means…" Started Iida.

"He can take this on long enough for Endeavor to tire out and then move in to finish the job." Midoriya finished the sentence.

"So then, what do we do?" Asked Uraraka.

Everyone looked down, thinking carefully about the situation and how they could help the flame hero out of that pinch. Then, finally, Midoriya looked up.

"I think I have a plan in mind, you guys."

* * *

Endeavor fired yet another stream of fire, but he was panting heavily. The physical strain of maintaining the blue flame state was catching up to him and Alloy still stood his ground. The crazy resilience that the flame hero had seen time and again in the past proved to be an eyesore when fought against. Nevertheless, Endeavor did his best to maintain fire.

Yet, the flame hero was met with Alloy's fist, coming through the fire and hitting him square in the face, knocking him down. Endeavor looked up at Alloy's towering figure, drawing heavy breaths as he stood triumphantly over the number one hero.

" _He's stronger than I thought…_ " Thought the hero.

"That was a daring play on your part, Enji. However, the difference between true heroes and fakers is that we're always one step ahead. The pieces are complete and now, I'll finally end this with my own two hands. Hands that can do the impossible!" The ex-hero said, looking towards the sky triumphantly as Endeavor's flames went to being a dimmer colour than usual.

Alloy was surprised, however, as he looked down and saw none other than Iida Tenya in front of him… with a fire extinguisher.

" _What?! He came from my left, where I can't see any more thanks to that wench! But what's he doing with that?_ " Alloy thought, surprised.

Iida released the contents of the extinguisher, the compressed carbon dioxide hitting the ex-hero's body in various spots. Alloy tried catching Iida with his huge hands, but Iida moved too quickly for him. Alloy turned around and saw Midoriya, also using a fire extinguisher on him. The ex-hero's good eye widened in realisation.

" _The gas… it weakens my body! I have to stop them!_ " Alloy frantically tried to catch both the kids circling around him, all the while feeling his body grow weaker.

Back with the others, Todoroki watched as his two friends distracted and weakened Alloy. He looked at Yao-Momo, resting on the ground after making the fire extinguishers.

"Hey, rest easy, okay? Let us handle the rest." He told her.

"But you still need something-" She weakly tried to stand up, but he stopped her.

"Don't worry about that, I got this." He said.

Todoroki slammed his right leg on the ground, making a few shards of ice not far from him. In the middle of them, a very long staff of ice with a sharp end stood erect, almost like a spear. He grabbed it, broke it off from the rest of the ice he made and looked back at the creation heroine.

"Hate to say it, but toldja so." He smirked at her.

"Guess you didn't just train in the backyard, huh?" She returned the smirk.

Todoroki looked at her for a bit, then turned to the other two girls, oblivious to Yao-Momo's gaze still fixed on him.

"Alright, I'm ready."

Uraraka approached and touched him, making him float. Asui then wrapped her tongue around him. The frog looked at the battlefield, where Midoriya and Iida where running around a frustrated Alloy. Taking a deep breath, she heaved Todoroki towards them.

" _Okay, Shoto, it's fly or die time. Literally. Make sure to incapacitate him and we win!_ " Todoroki thought to himself as he flew.

Midoriya and Iida noticed Todoroki approaching them quickly and immediately stopped using the extinguishers. The ex-hero noticed that and immediately caught on. He looked and saw Todoroki coming towards him ever-so quickly and side-stepped at the last second.

"What?!" Todoroki said.

"Todoroki!" Midoriya and Yao-Momo yelled in unison.

Alloy quickly grabbed Todoroki, who was still mid-air, and with a Boosted hand slammed him into the ground, making a crater around both of them. Wires of destroyed cables protruded from the ground, and broken pipes shot water into the air. The son of Endeavor coughed up blood, his broken ribs hurting him like there was no tomorrow. The shock wave had knocked Iida and Midoriya farther away from the two, so Todoroki didn't think he should expect being saved this time around.

"Well, well, you're back, Shoto. How nice to see you again. Of course now that your father is here and he can see us, I think it's time for me to start breaking him beyond repair." Alloy said.

Just as the ex-hero was about to lift his left hand, though, the adrenaline in his veins subsided, and he could feel the shooting pain coming from his left shoulder. He turned to it, and saw Todoroki's ice spear protruding from it.

"Damn. So you incapacitated my left arm, huh? Well, I'll just kill you with my right arm." Said the villain. He turned to Endeavor as he made a sharp blade with his right hand.

"Take a good look, Enji! Your son will now die, so make sure you remember his last words." Called Alloy. Endeavor looked on, helpless anger apparent on his face as his body failed him to do anything.

"No…" Was all the flame hero could say.

Todoroki looked at the sharp weapon, then at Alloy. Maybe it was the end after all. Alloy was just too strong. Might as well just let him do it.

" _ **It's okay for you to be... who you want to be.**_ "

Todoroki's eyes widened and his heart beat fastened a bit. He thought of his mother's words very carefully. He remembered her face, then his friends' faces. His siblings', as well. He clenched his right fist.

" _Who I want to be… that's right. I want to be a hero. And to be a hero, I can't just let some criminal outwit me. I can't let him harm people. Like All Might said, heroes have a lot to protect. I will protect that. I will protect them!_ " Todoroki thought to himself as he grit his teeth.

Summoning the last of his strength, Todoroki grabbed a wire and pulled it as hard as he can, slamming it into Alloy's numb left hand. The ex-hero's eyes went wide as saucers in fear, the electricity spreading throughout him. He wasn't in contact with the son of Endeavor, so it wasn't affecting him. No, only Alloy was feeling it.

The ex-hero's scream was a mighty one, the pain not easing. After a while, Todoroki pulled the cable away and Alloy stood still. In a few moments, the ex-hero fell back.

The last thing the son of Endeavor saw was Alloy returning to his human form as he hit the ground and fell unconscious. Then, smiling, Todoroki let his own exhaustion finally catch on.

* * *

The son of Endeavor slowly opened his eyes, exhaustion filling his body. His eyes took a minute to adjust to the light, but when he managed to see his surroundings, he found himself lying in a hospital bed, the sun shining outside. His left hand had been bandaged properly, and so was his torso. He attempted to sit up in his bed, but the shooting pain in his ribs stopped him. Sighing, he opted to stay put for a while.

Not long after, the door opened. He turned to see a nurse entering, carrying a tray of what he assumed was medication and new bandages.

"Oh, you're up! That's… quite unexpected, given your injuries. How do you feel?" She asked him, as she got to changing the bandages around his arm. Todoroki was surprised to hear her fluency in English.

"I feel exhausted. Not knocked out, though. How did I get here?" He asked her.

"I'd tell you, but some people have been worried sick about you. They should be the ones to tell you." The nurse said with a smile, placing the tray beside him before leaving the ward.

A few seconds later, a number of familiar faces filed into the ward, worried expressions on their faces. The five U.A. students were by the bed, all of them checking on their friend up close. A little farther away were All Might and officer Tsukauchi, who Todoroki had no idea what they were doing there. Finally, Endeavor stood by the far wall; arms crossed as he leaned against it and watched the room carefully, a band under his left eye.

"How do you feel?" Iida asked, looking over Todoroki with concern.

"I'm pretty tired, to be honest. But I also can't believe it's really over. What happened to Alloy?" He asked.

"He fell unconscious after you shocked him. The police imprisoned him under heavy guard and transported him to Japan immediately. He should actually be in Tartarus right about now." Midoriya said.

"I see. So, you four mind telling us how you came here now?" The son of Endeavor turned to his friends, save for Yao-Momo.

"Alloy's underlings kidnapped Young Midoriya's mother and used her as bait to lure them in. They kidnapped them and escaped using a private jet, hidden by the Quirk of one of them called Illusia. That's actually why officer Tsukauchi and I are here; to bring them back home." Explained All Might.

"Okay… Did the police say anything about me and Yao-Momo using our Quirks without authorisation?" The son of Endeavor asked.

"They did, but Endeavor took responsibility for it." Asui said, pointing at the flame hero, who looked away.

Todoroki looked at him and then turned to his friends, giving them a knowing look. They all looked at each other in understanding and filed out of the room, taking the former symbol of peace and the officer with them to give father and son some privacy. Silence hanged between the two for a moment, before the flame hero broke it.

"You used your flames to injure is side, didn't you? I must say, your mastery over your left side has-"

"Don't give me that crap." The younger man said calmly.

Endeavor stopped talking, staring at his son. His son was glaring at him.

"I'll be level with you. Being tangled up in your messes is one thing, but my friends being dragged into this isn't something I appreciate." Todoroki's voice was level and his tone serious.

"…You're right." Endeavor said, Todoroki raising an eyebrow, not expecting a quick succumbing.

"I thought that if I bury the whole matter between Koto and I, it might eventually disappear on its own, but I was wrong. I dragged innocents into this and as a hero, that's against my job. I'll even make it up to you." Endeavor said.

"That'd be out of character, though. Normally, you'd throw me in the training room and beat me half-to-death." Todoroki said.

"You beat Alloy, one of the most dangerous villains one could come across. You should be rewarded for such a feat. I'm being generous, but don't get used to it. Now, what do you want?" Said the flame hero. Todoroki thought for a minute, before giving his answer.

"Well, there is one thing…"

* * *

Over the course of the next few days, Recovery Girl was flown in to help Todoroki recuperate quicker. The four kidnapped students were flown back with All Might and officer Tsukauchi, after the former symbol of peace himself complimented the six students over their accomplishment. Endeavor also went home, looking forward towards the future now that the shadow of Goki Makoto was lifted from over his past. Finally, at that moment, Todoroki and Yao-Momo were at the airport, ready to go home themselves.

"So, I guess this is it. I had a great time staying with you. Sorry if I was of any inconvenience." Yao-Momo said.

"Don't worry, you weren't. I actually enjoyed it a lot too. Arthur's cool and all, but it was nice having someone young around for a change." The son of Endeavor admitted.

"Well, you gotta admit, even without the staying together thing, this past week sure was a whirl, huh?" The creation heroine chuckled.

"Yeah. I don't think All Might's classes will be entertaining anymore." Todoroki said.

They both shared a laugh and made their way past the gate. Inside, just before they reached the doors, they both stopped to check their watches.

"We still have some time to kill until the plane. Wanna grab a bite to eat or something?" Todoroki suggested.

"Sure… although, I kinda want to talk to you about something." Yao-Momo said. It was the moment and her heart was pounding like a late night disco party in her chest.

"Sure, what's up?" Todoroki turned to her to give her his full attention.

"Okay, here's the thing. For this past week, I've been really thinking about stuff, and, well, I've recently been having, um… God, this is harder than I thought. You see, you've always been-"

He cut her off by closing the distance between them. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close, his touch warm and tender. She closed her eyes and let the feeling sink in, making sure to remember the way she felt the moment Todoroki first pulled her into his arms.

Reluctantly, Todoroki pulled back, his breaths slightly heavy. He looked into her eyes, still keeping her in his arms.

"I know, Yao-Momo. I do too." He said, making her face go beet red.

"Wow… I, um… Woah. You never showed it, though." She said, barely containing her smile.

"Over the years, living with my old man taught me to hide my feelings well. Nothing good came out of it at the time. Nonetheless, they're true… just like with Milo and Kida." She laughed at his reference.

"I got some help, though." He admitted.

"Oh really?"

"Yeah. You see, there was this one morning…"

* * *

 _"Mum, I need your help with something, but promise that won't tell anyone about this." Todoroki said to his mum over the phone._

 _"_ _ **Sure, son, anything.**_ _" She replied._

 _"Well, you see, this girl I just told you about… I'm kinda get a weird vibe when I'm around her." He admitted._

 _"_ _ **What kind of vibe?**_ _"_

 _"Well, she's cool and all. It's just as though that she's just the amount of cool I prefer in a person, y'know? I like hanging out with her, I like spending time with her, all more than usual… I've never felt like this before. Any clue what it means?"_

 _Rei was silent for a moment, before suddenly squealing in delight._

 _"_ _ **Oh God, my baby boy's all grown up! I'm so proud of you!**_ _" She said in delight, but the younger man only sweat-dropped._

 _"Okay… Could you fill me in so that I could be proud of me too, please?" He said._

 _"_ _ **You sound as though you like this girl.**_ _" She said, with a wink._

 _"M-mum! Where's that even coming from?" The son of Endeavor became flustered._

 _"_ _ **Look, only you can know for sure, but I think you should give it a shot, okay? A hero must be honest with himself if he is to judge correctly, right? I know you can deal with this, Shoto. Just do what you think is right.**_ _"_

* * *

"..And well, I did. I think this where I want to be. Where I _should_ be." He said.

Blushing furiously, Yao-Momo could feel her heart raring to free itself from her body altogether. Taking deep breaths to ease the beating a bit, she leaned in to kiss him again. After they pulled back, it was last call for the plane.

"So, we'll continue this in Japan?" She asked him.

"You bet." He answered with a smile.

They both boarded the plane, the creation heroine being specially happy.

"Well, looks like I've still got it." She said to herself, barely containing her need to dance in glee.


	12. Who You Want to Be

_**Chapter 12**_

 _ **Who You Want to Be**_

Tsukauchi sat at his desk, All Might sitting opposite of him. The officer went through a few papers on his desk, occasionally marking something on one of the files laid out in front of him. He sighed, a content smile on his face.

"Well, it's only been about a week and a half, but we've already managed to capture forty eight out of the fifty escaped prisoners!" Tsukauchi said, satisfied.

"And we know that one of them is the sludge villain, who's somewhere at sea right now, unable to harm anyone." All Might added.

"Yeah. Which leaves us with only one villain to worry about. How are we gonna find him in this big a town though?" The officer asked.

"Beats me. Anyway, how're things going on the Alloy frontier?"

"Well, he's being kept in a special cell in Tartarus, like the one Stain and All for One are kept in. As for his lackeys, they're not under the same strict watch, but are still under heavy guarding. They won't be doing anything any time soon, believe you me." Tsukauchi explained.

"And the satellite?" The former symbol of peace inquired.

"We got some of our tech pros to work on that. He should be down any day now."

"That sure is a relief. I can't believe it's all really over." All Might lay back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling.

"Yeah, I hear ya. Although, I still don't get what they wanted from you and Midoriya." The officer admitted.

"According to the young ones, they wanted to hand us over to All for One as part of a deal between him and Alloy. Can you imagine what would've happened if that actually came to pass?"

"Really don't want to."

The officer went back to inspecting the papers before him and adjusting anything within the files. He lifted his head and shared a look with All Might when they heard yelling outside. Then, in almost an instant, someone kicked the door open with an angry grunt.

"Do your jobs, damn it!" Bakugo Katsuki, in the flesh, came into the office and dropped an unconscious fish-like villain with burn marks on the ground. With a huff, the explosion-Quirked student turned and left, mumbling to himself as he left the two adults staring at each other in surprise.

"That guy's gonna make for one scary hero." Said Tsukauchi as he sweat-dropped.

"I think it's one of his charms, to be honest." All Might added.

Both shared a look, shrugged with a laugh and went back about their businesses.

* * *

Two months later, the summer vacation ended, and the students of U.A. eagerly made their way towards their new classroom towards a new year.

Midoriya had met up with Iida by the gate, both of them walking into the big building together. They had settled earlier into their dorms, and caught up with their other classmates on how each of their summers went. It goes without saying that everyone was impressed and intrigued when they heard about the ordeal with Alloy, and instantly swarmed the six involved with questions. Remembering the night before, Midoriya and Iida couldn't help but share a laugh.

"Well, that's our class for you. They're all pretty interesting, huh?" Said Midoriya.

"Yeah. I'm glad we're friends with them, to be honest." Admitted the heir of Ingenium.

"True. Now that we're starting a new year as Class 2-A, I can't wait to see how everyone's gonna handle the future challenges." The bearer of One for All wore a smile.

"Speaking of, who do you think our homeroom teacher will be this year? I bet it'll turn out to be Mr. Snipe." Iida said.

"I don't know, really. Imagine it being Mr. Power Loader, though." Midoriya said, as they both came across a big door with the words '2-A' on it.

Iida chuckled at the thought as they both entered the classroom. All their classmates were split in groups, chatting and hanging out. The two best friends each went for their seats and placed their bags on their respective chairs, before heading to a corner in the classroom.

Iida and Midoriya approached a group of four sitting in a corner. Asui sat on Yao-Momo's desk as Uraraka stood between the two girls and Todoroki in the aisle.

"Hey, you guys." Midoriya took his place beside Uraraka.

"Hey, Deku!" The brunette turned to him.

"What've you all been up to?" Iida asked.

"We were wondering about our new homeroom teacher." Asui said.

"Whattya know? Iida and I were just thinking about that."

"I'm gonna miss Mr. Aizawa, though. With all of his hard work helping us develop our Quirks, it'd be weird not to have him around." Yao-Momo said.

"I think it'll be useful for us. A new person means new techniques, which means our experience will grow. I have to say, though, Mr. Aizawa will be hard to top in most other fields." Todoroki said calmly.

At that moment, the six students' hair almost stood up. Their classmates all went silent as well; the whole class feeling the same familiar sensation of creepiness. Turning to the head of the class, they saw their homeroom teacher…

"Mr. Aizawa!" They all yelled.

"Good Morning. I can tell you're all surprised, but I've been selected as your homeroom teacher for this year as well. Now, change into your P.E. uniforms. You'll undergo a test right now." The underdog hero said calmly.

"What?! A Test?! But it's the first day!" Kaminari said, panic all over his face.

"Yeah, isn't it too early in the year to make Kaminari jam his brain?" Asked Jiro, much to the electricity user's chagrin.

"This is a physical test, right? Why are we taking it again, if I may ask?" Kirishima asked.

"It's kind of like last year's Quirk Apprehension test. We need to know your numbers at the beginning of the year to better monitor your improvement." Aizawa said.

"Oh, so it's like that…" Sato sighed in relief.

"Let's just get it over with." Bakugo said impatiently as he grabbed his uniform and left to change.

* * *

After a long day of physical tests and tiresome activities, all twenty classmates lay down tiredly on the ground, sweat and grazes covering their bodies as they panted from exhaustion.

"Okay… I think I'm… ready for summer now…" Ashido said between pants.

"I should really see a doctor about this…" Mineta applied pressure to his head as it bled like crazy.

"Go wash up in your locker rooms and return to your dorms. We're done for the day. Make sure to wake up in time for Heroics tomorrow, it starts half an hour earlier than usual." Aizawa said before turning to leave.

"Wow, half an hour earlier? What gives?" Sero said.

"Let's just go home and sleep while we can. I'm pretty sure I can't feel my legs." Dust flew in opposite directions around the floating clothes worn by the invisible Hagakure as she walked up the dirt path.

As everyone started to groggily stand and head back to the dorms, Todoroki made his way towards Yao-Momo, discreetly grabbing her hand in his. She smiled at him, hiding her blush by looking away.

"Hey, with all the stuff we just did, you think you still have it in you for later today?" He asked her.

"Yeah, sure. I just need time to wash up. My muscles are so sore…" She rubbed her biceps with her free hand.

"I hear ya. Good job on making first place again though." The son of Endeavor said, prompting her to smile.

"Thank you, it means a lot coming from you."

"I call 'em like I see 'em. Anyway, I'll get out of your hair for now. See ya around five?" She nodded in confirmation and he went to walk with Midoriya and Iida, joining in on their conversation.

* * *

Todoroki stood outside the dorm building, wearing a blue shirt that he had open, revealing the white tee below it. He also wore dark jeans and a pair of light grey sneakers. He sighed, checking his watch as he waited for Yao-Momo to show up.

"Hey, sorry I'm late! Asui needed my help with something real quick." Yao-Momo yelled, coming down the stairs.

Yao-Momo wore a dark red hoodie, looking light enough for the warm breeze in the air, with a black polo shirt under it. She wore a pair of jeans and dark brown boots, going till right below her knees.

"It's alright. You look good, by the way." The son of Endeavor said calmly, causing Yao-Momo to blush.

" _He's acting like it's nothing, but I'm pretty sure he's just a big marshmallow in there._ " Yao-Momo thought to herself.

"Thank you. Now, shall we go?" She asked him.

"Yeah, come on."

They both walked down the street, silent at first. Todoroki seemed deep in thought as he looked down the whole time they were walking. The creation heroine noticed this and nudged him in the arm.

"Penny for your thoughts?" She asked, causing him to look at her.

"Oh, nothing. Don't worry." He said.

"C'mon, don't be like that. I know when you're hiding something from me, okay? You can tell me." She said, holding his hand in hers and squeezing it for comfort.

Todoroki sighed, letting his shoulders slump a bit.

"…I'm not forcing you into this, am I?" He asked her.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Remember the way I brought it up? How abrupt that was? I don't want you feeling as though you're pressured into doing this just for me." He explained. Much to his surprise, though, she chuckled a bit in response.

"C'mon now, Todoroki, that's a bit out of character. It's not like you to worry. In any case, no, you're not. I know you think it's a bit soon to be doing this, but I _want_ to do this. It's important to you, which makes it important to me." She said, wrapping a hand around his arm.

"I see. Well, that sure is a relief then. I should warn you, though, things in there could get… a little bubbly." He said as they both took a right, the hospital coming into view.

* * *

The two heroes-in-training made their way through the hospital corridors, until they reached a door labelled 'Mrs. Todoroki'. The son of Endeavor turned to the girl by his side and she gave him a sure nod. He knocked on the door, opened it and entered.

"Mum! We're here!" He said as he went in.

A woman at the far end of the room was looking out the window. She turned upon hearing Todoroki's voice, letting her facial features come into view. Yao-Momo couldn't help but feel a little surprised; Todoroki Rei looked younger than she had pictured. Her white hair and grey eyes reflected as the source of Todoroki's right side features. She flashed a smile at the two youngsters.

"Shoto! Hello, dear, I've missed you!" She said, standing up and hugging him. He wouldn't show it for his mother, but Todoroki felt a little embarrassed.

"And I you, mum. This is Yao-" He was cut off.

"Yaoyorozu Momo. Pleased to finally meet you after hearing so much." Rei said, extending a hand for Yao-Momo to shake.

"Good things, I hope. Also, I must say I'm really honoured you know my name, Mrs. Todoroki." Yao-Momo shook her hand but she was also cut off.

"Please, dear, just call me Rei." The older lady said with a kind smile.

" _Her smile… There's something about it. Something… comforting. I can see why Todoroki trusts her a lot, even for a mother._ " The creation heroine thought, as she sat down when addressed a seat.

"So, Yaoyorozu, I heard a lot about you, but could you tell me a bit about yourself?" Rei asked the younger lady.

"Well, I'm a classmate of Todoroki's at U.A. High, as you most probably know." Yao-Momo began.

"Oh, so you want to be a hero as well! That's great, good for you. May I ask why, though?"

"Well-"

"Sorry, dear. Shoto, could you go and grab us all some tea from the cafeteria?" The older lady turned to her son.

"Of course. I'll be right back." Todoroki said, leaving the room.

As soon as he went out the door, Yao-Momo turned to Rei in the hopes of continuing her answer to the earlier question, but the mother ceased upon the chance to change the subject.

"He really seems to care about you. More than anyone else I've seen him encounter." Rei said.

"Oh. Well, the feeling _is_ mutual. He's really… different." The creation heroine said, looking at the door for a moment.

"Different, huh? Tell me how, will you?"

"Well, when I first met him, he always kept to himself. I think he came to U.A. without the intention of making friends with anybody, but rather he only wanted to become the strongest he could be. Somewhere along the way, though, with the help of one of our friends, Todoroki got to open up a little bit. And over the course of our trip to Barcelona, I got to see sides of him that I hadn't seen before; how gentle he is, how understanding, how mature… I could go all day, honestly."

"Yes, that Midoriya boy especially sounds like a real piece of work. I'm thankful that he helped Shoto overcome his own shackles. I regret being part of the reason for their existence deeply, but I figure I should just be happy he's better now."

"Yeah, we all are; me and our friends." Yao-Momo smiled.

"You speak of your friends. I'm happy he's made some, really. You know, you're the first person I've met that he's ever befriended." Rei admitted.

"Wow, really? I'm honoured, but I must ask: He didn't have much friends growing up, did he?"

"I'm afraid you're wrong, dear. He didn't have _any_ friends growing up."

Yao-Momo's eyes widened at the revelation. She had heard him talking about his problems with his father time and again and was surprised that, everything considered, he turned out fine. Throwing in loneliness as well… He's practically tougher than rocks. She imagined that he at least had someone else to vent to after his mother had been hospitalised, but the apparently wasn't the case.

"I know what you're thinking. It has been hard on him. Still, he made it through, that's how determined he is to become better than his father. Still, I'm glad his shell broke eventually, and someone so understanding is there by his side. You're such a sweet girl; he's lucky to have you." Rei said with a smile.

"Thank you, it really means a lot." Yao-Momo replied happily.

"So, what're you getting him?" Rei asked, suddenly taking spreading an excited demeanour around the room.

"Getting him? What do you mean?" The creation heroine raised an eyebrow.

"His birthday's next Monday. Shouldn't you know that?"

"…Wait, we're still in September. Isn't his birthday in January?"

"It is. However, it coincides with the day I… y'know." Rei looked out the window and played with her hair, her nervousness and discomfort visible on her face. Yao-Momo caught on quickly.

"He didn't tell me about it, though…" The creation heroine rubbed her chin.

"Same old Shoto. He probably doesn't want to trouble you so much with it."

"Why would he think that?" The younger lady raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know. He's always been like this, though. He would never talk about his birthday, even to us when he was a kid."

"Why next week, though?"

"He celebrates on my birthday instead. It's his way of saying he's not mad at me, I think." Rei explained.

"I see. Oh God, I have no idea what to get him! I had a whole thing planned for his birthday, but there isn't nearly enough time…" Yao-Momo started to panic. Had Rei knew about it, she would've thought that she muttered even worse than Midoriya did.

"Relax, dear. I know what you should give him. Now, listen carefully…"

* * *

Todoroki walked back carrying a tray with three steaming cups of tea. He had hoped things would go smoothly between his mother and Yao-Momo, and things really were shaping up. His mother wasn't the type to act overprotectively, so he wasn't worried, but still.

Since it was his idea, he kind of wondered whether it was a good one or not. He didn't want to rush things with Yao-Momo, but at the same time he didn't want to make her feel as though he's too secluded. Perhaps he was panicking a little, since he had no experience in such social fields, but he was learning as he went. The son of Endeavor was just glad nothing backfired yet.

"I'm back." Todoroki knocked on the door and entered, giving each of the ladies her cup of tea.

"So Shoto, what's new with you, dear?" Rei asked.

"Nothing much. I've been practising using both Quirks a lot lately, but that's pretty much it with me. Although, some generally big news is that Fuyumi got a car."

"Really? That's great news; she'll save so much time. How did she get it, though? Last time we talked she was actually complaining about her salary being too low for transport."

"Well, he got it for her." Todoroki said. His mother furrowed her eyebrows for a bit, before her eyes widened in realisation.

"No way."

"That's what I said, but apparently he really did."

"Wow… that thing with Goki sure did make him reflect, huh?"

"Wait, you know Alloy?" Yao-Momo asked.

"Yeah. Goki, Endeavor and I were actually classmates in U.A. I wasn't friends with them, but I knew them pretty well."

"You went to U.A.?!" Todoroki said in surprise.

"Yes. In fact, I was top girl in class." Rei said, the two youngsters' eyes wide as saucers.

"I had no idea…" Todoroki thought out loud.

"Good old days. Now, don't take this the wrong way, but you two should probably get going. You need to be back at your dorms before nightfall, right? Better get going before it gets dark." Rei said.

Both of them said goodbye to her and went on their way.

* * *

On the way back, Todoroki was walking with his hands in his pocket, not looking down as when they were heading to the hospital.

"That actually went even better than I expected." Todoroki said.

"Yeah, it was really nice meeting your mum. I hope I could meet her again soon." Yao-Momo said.

"We could come together again. So hey, about next week… wanna go out on Friday, maybe? I hear Jiro's got a concert going on that night." Todoroki said, looking away.

" _Months and his still shy at moments like these. He really is a piece of work._ " Yao-Momo thought, smiling.

"Sure, Friday sounds nice. Maybe we could even grab a bite to eat afterwards or something."

"Sounds good." Todoroki smiled at her.

"It's a date then." She said, beaming.

* * *

The week after, on Friday, the son of Endeavor was getting ready in his room, shirts and pants sprawled on the bed before him. He needed to wear something fitting to not embarrass Yao-Momo, but he had no idea what one would wear to a rock band concert.

Hearing a voice behind him, he turned his head towards the door and found a piece of paper on the ground before it. He grabbed it and opened it up to read its contents.

" _ **Wear a casual blazer. Meet in front of school gate in fifteen minutes.**_ " He raised his eyebrow at the note.

It wasn't written in Yao-Momo's handwriting, so who could've written it? Could Jiro have caught wind of them attending her concert later that evening? He crumpled it up and threw it on his desk, figuring he'll know in fifteen minutes.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Todoroki was outside the school gate, wearing a navy blue blazer with a dark grey shirt below it. He wore dark jeans and black sneakers to top things off as well. He wasn't that knowledgeable in regards to fashion, but he thought it looked good, so he decided to go for it anyway. Either way, he had been looking around him for any clues so as to who wrote that note, but found nothing. He heard footsteps behind him and turned around.

Then he saw her.

Yao-Momo, her head still in her trademark ponytail, wore a red sundress, reaching just below her knees. She also wore white heels, which clicked as she walked towards him. She smiled at him as he stared at her in awe at her appearance. Simple… but Todoroki thought she was the incarnation of beauty nonetheless.

"Wow, you look like something out of a fai-" He was cut off when she pressed her lips to his, kissing him gently.

"I know this is four days late, but… Happy birthday, Todoroki." She said.

"Oh. Well, thank you, but how did you-" He cut himself off as he realised the answer to his own question. His mother. Of course it was.

"More surprises are coming your way, too."

She cupped her hands together as if she was holding a wounded bird in them, a light coming from between them as she created something. When she opened them, the son of Endeavor almost doubled over.

"Is that…?"

"A snowflake. Just like your mother used to give you when you were little. I made a layer over it of a certain substance, so it'll last forever too." Yao-Momo handed it to him and he grabbed it with care.

"Well, congratulations. You're the first to render me speechless." He said, prompting her to laugh.

"Well, I don't know why you didn't tell me, but I think you shouldn't hide these things from me. If you think they're an inconvenience… well, I guess I want your inconveniences. Actually, I..." They held hands as she gathered up the courage to tell him what's been on her mind.

"You..?" He urged her on.

"I think I love your inconveniences." The creation heroine finally said as the guy in front of her widened his eyes.

"My... Well, if I'm being completely honest, I'm pretty sure I love your inconveniences too." He replied with a smile.

"The no secrets from me anymore, okay?"

"You got it." He kissed her gently, squeezing her hand.

"Shall we get going? You've got a whole evening of surprises ahead of you, so we should start now." She said when they pulled back.

"Lead the way."

* * *

After a short walk, Yao-Momo lead Todoroki to a small park. Quiet, and filled with romantic lights. Todoroki had never heard of the park himself, and judging by his surroundings, not many people seemed to have passed through there. Unless it was one of Yao-Momo's surprises maybe?

She stopped and turned towards him, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving him the other to hold. He raised an eyebrow as he took it by instinct, not really understanding what was going on.

"Aren't we gonna be late for Jiro's concert?" He asked.

Then the lights came on. Todoroki had to close his eyes a little before adjusting to the light, and turned around him to see Jiro and what he assumed to be her band, playing a soft melody. He looked down at Yao-Momo, only to find her smiling.

"The concert's been delayed till tomorrow. Today, though… A special occasion." The creation heroine said.

Todoroki lead her into a dance, a smile on his face. As they swayed to the music, the son of Endeavor couldn't help but chuckle.

"What is it?" Yao-Momo asked.

"Nothing, it's just… I can't believe you pulled all of this from right under my nose. You'd think I would've noticed something." He answered.

"Well, Todoroki Shoto, looks like you've met your match." She replied.

"Looks like it. I am not losing that easily, though." He smirked.

"Come at me with all you've got it."

They danced for a while before the song stopped. They turned to Jiro and applauded her and her band, and they all bowed to them. The lead guitarist then made her way towards the two.

"Hey, you two. Hope you enjoyed the show." Jiro said.

"It was really good. I thought you only played rock, though." Todoroki said.

"Well, sometimes you just gotta get out of your comfort zone. Besides, can't say no to the deputy rep now, can I? There was the whole thing with the note too, so it sounded fun anyway." the bass player said.

"Iida would've made a fuss if you said no." Yao-Momo said good-heartedly.

"Back up. You wrote the note?" The son of Endeavor asked Jiro.

"Nope, I was just there. It was actually Uraraka."

"Really, now? I certainly didn't see that coming..."

"Anyway, glad you two enjoyed the show. Happy birthday Todoroki!" Jiro said as she went back to the band waving as she receded.

Todoroki turned to Yao-Momo, both of them holding hands as they left the park.

* * *

The two of them walked around the city, talking and laughing. Todoroki felt especially happy; he had never spent a birthday like that before. Then again, Yao-Momo was always one for surprises. He looked at her and smiled.

"So, what's our next stop?"

"Well, why don't we lay off on the surprises for a bit and just spend some time together?" She suggested. Todoroki looked behind her and an idea came to his mind.

"Wanna do both?"

"What do you mean?" She looked behind her at what he was looking at: what was probably the most overpriced restaurant in all of town. She turned back to him.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but isn't this a little too rich for our blood right now?" She asked him.

"Not if I can help it. C'mon, it's about time I surprised you for a change." He grabbed her hand and pulled her with him towards the restaurant.

Once they entered, a waiter came to them asking for reservations. Todoroki said something to him in his ear and the waiter immediately lead them to a table on the upper floor, with a perfect view of the street. Todoroki opened the chair for her, letting her sit first. Soon, the waiter came and gave them each a menu, the two of them starting to file through it almost immediately.

"So, are you gonna fill me in on how we're sitting in a restaurant where a burger costs thirty bucks?" Yao-Momo asked him.

"A couple years back, when Toya had just left, my old man decided to make it up to us by making us eat here. Being Endeavor and all, the manager came to greet us and they made a deal. My old man would give him loads of money and we could use that money to order stuff until the amount was used up."

"I see. I didn't know they did that." The creation heroine said.

"They normally don't, but between the old man's status and the money, I'm guessing they let it slip."

"Oh. Well, pardon me, but how much money did he pay?"

"Fifty grand." Todoroki said and Yao-Momo almost doubled over.

"Wow… I can see why the manager caved." The creation heroine said.

"I know. My old man probably did it to shut us up with the whole Toya thing, but I'm not complaining." Todoroki said.

The waiter came back, a notepad in hand to take their orders. The son of Endeavor gestured for Yao-Momo to say her order first and then he said his. The waiter left, both of them turning back to each other.

"So, how's my surprise till now?" Todoroki asked with a smile.

"I feel so dwarfed." She joked, and he laughed a bit.

"Wait till you taste the lobsters."

He reached out for her hand and held it in his.

"Tonight was amazing. Thank you." He said, and she gave his hand a squeeze.

"No need to thank me, Todoroki, you deserve it."

It wasn't long before their food came, all steak well-done and the side dishes of the finest quality. As they dug in, Yao-Momo sighed.

"This is the best scallop I've eaten in my whole life! I can't believe my parents never brought me here." She said.

"They're known for their scallop. Fresh donkeys right out of the oven." He said, and she looked at him wide-eyed.

"Relax, I'm kidding." He said, and she sighed in relief before breaking into laughter.

* * *

They both walked together back the dorms, standing in front of the huge building's double doors. Before they entered, he looked at her.

"I had lots of fun tonight. I don't think I've ever enjoyed surprises that much before." He told her.

"Well, good. They're not over yet, you see." She pulled him by the hand and opened the door.

" **SURPRISE!** " the common area erupted with confetti and colours as all the students from class 2-A appeared from their hiding places, Iida holding a cake with Todoroki's name on it.

They all started singing the birthday song, and dimmed the lights again for the candles to burn brightly. Todoroki looked around him, everyone looking at him as they sang. At the end of the song, he blew out the candles.

"Yay! Whatcha wish for?" Ashido asked him.

"He can't tell you that, it won't come true." Sero said.

"But I wanna know!" The horned girl pouted.

"She's like a baby girl." Tokoyami said to himself.

Todoroki watched as people cut the cake and passed pieces around, before his phone buzzed. He looked at it and found a picture from his siblings, the words 'Happy birthday' written in bold on it. He also found a text from Fuyumi.

" _ **Hey, good call on getting dad to bring Arthur back here. Things have been much easier with him around.**_ " He chuckled at the text and put his phone in his pocket.

Looking around, he found Uraraka by the cake, distributing slices of it among their classmates. He walked up to her and started helping.

"Hey, stranger." He said as he took the knife from her and started slicing the cake.

"Hey. You don't have to do this, it's your birthday."

"No reason why I shouldn't help one of my best friends, right?" He said.

After passing around a couple of pieces, he turned to her.

"So, hey, thanks for the fashion advice by the way. I hope I picked something nice." He said, startling her for a second.

"Jiro told you, huh? Well, I thought you might need a hand with it, since you didn't know what Yao-Momo had in store for you, so..." She said.

"I see. Well, thanks, it really helped out. Here, you earned this." He said, handing her a slice.

"Thanks." She said as she took from him.

After talking with each other for a while, they both left to mingle with the rest of their classmates, enjoying the party.

* * *

A bit into the party, Yao-Momo led Todoroki up to the roof. She stopped in front of a metallic door and turned to him.

"So, last surprise of the night…" She said and opened the door.

Todoroki found a blanket laid out on the roof, with a cooler and a basket on top. He looked up at the sky, night having already fallen and the moon and stars shining vibrantly in the sky. He turned back to her, finding her already sitting on the blanket.

"A picnic in the moonlight on the roof, alone with you. Just what I need right now." He joined her as she pulled two ice cream cones from the cooler and gave him one.

They started eating the ice cream, before Yao-Momo noticed Todoroki smiling at the moon.

"Penny for your thoughts?" She asked him.

"Nothing, it's just… My mum was right. I _can_ be who I want to be. I guess I never believed the real double-meaning behind that till after we beat Alloy, but I guess better late than never, huh?"

"Yeah. And hey, look, whoever you become, and whatever you do, I'll be by your side. Cuz you deserve someone to be by your side, Todoroki. You really do." She said, placing her hand on his.

She turned to her ice cream cone, only to find it melting on her hand. She turned to take some tissue out of her bag, yet when she came back, the cone no longer melted. She looked at Todoroki, the son of Endeavor eating at his own ice cream.

"Thanks."

"Don't sweat it. You should hurry up with it, though. This thing melts quickly." He told her, causing her to smile.

She rested her head on her shoulder and looked up at the moon with him. He sighed, and looked at her.

"You know, I learned a lot during the whole Alloy ordeal. Most importantly, though, I learned that even though you can be a pretty tough person, it doesn't have anything to do with your feelings. Rather, lots of people use these feelings to move forward."

"Oh? And how did you come to that conclusion?"

"Someone I met taught me that. You know her, her name is Yaoyorozu Momo." He smiled down at her, and she kissed him.

"You always had it in you. You just needed a push that's all."

They both turned back to the moon, only one thought occurring in Todoroki's head.

" _I am… who I always wanted to be._ "

* * *

 _ **The End**_


End file.
